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The terrorist's attacks in Paris last Friday put Greek authorities in a state of heightened alert. As a result, the police authorities in Kos captured two Syrians whom the Greek Intelligence Service has investigated for links to ISIS. Photographs were found on the detainees' mobile phones, in which they brandish firearms, knives, Islamic State flags; the photos also feature IS fighters with covered faces. In one of the pictures, one of the detained Syrians is posing in front of the jihadists' black flag.

During the interrogation, one of the Syrians said he was against Bashar al-Assad and considered him as his enemy, but did not go as far as to admit he was an IS supporter, police sources said to Eleftheros Tipos daily. However, authorities claim that the photos found on the Syrians' mobile phones constitute evidence of their ideological affiliation. At the same time they are exploring the likelihood that the two are members of another paramilitary group.

The two Syrians arrived in Kos from Turkey by boat two days ago. They were travelling among dozens of other refugees and illegal immigrants. After their arrest, police on the island immediately informed the security services in Athens. The investigation seeks to establish what the occupation of the two was before their arrival in Greece and whether and how they belonged to the ranks of the jihadists. According to sources from the Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection, the two suspects do not feature in any of the lists of wanted IS members.

The Eleftheros Tipos publication argues that the investigation of the case continues in cooperation with foreign secret services. For the time being, the possibility that the two Syrians are only IS supporters rather than its active members cannot be excluded.

The Syrians were detected during their registration process. They triggered suspicions among police officers in Kos, who subsequently checked their personal belongings.