Suspects held over alleged Hezbollah plot in Brazil

An alleged plot to attack Jews in Brazil has been foiled following the arrest of two men suspected of being linked to the Islamist group Hezbollah.

The arrests were made in Sao Paulo on Wednesday during what police said was an operation to "disrupt the preparation of terrorist attacks".

Brazilian authorities added other raids were carried out across the country.

The Israeli Prime Minister's office said its spy agency Mossad worked with Brazilian law enforcement.

Brazil is home to Latin America's second largest Jewish community.

In a statement Brazil's Federal Police said 11 search and seizure raids were executed in Sao Paulo, the capital Brasilia and the state of Minas Gerais.

Recruiters face charges of involvement in a terrorist organisation and participating in preparations for terrorist acts - and could face maximum prison sentences of 15 and a half years if convicted.

According to AFP news agency Mossad said it had helped to "foil a terrorist attack in Brazil" which it added was "planned by the Hezbollah terrorist organization, directed and financed by the Iranian regime".

In a statement Mossad said the planned attacks targeted "Israeli and Jewish targets in Brazil".

"This was an extensive network that operated in additional countries," Mossad added.

While Mossad did not name the other countries, AFP said security experts have long tracked alleged Hezbollah operations in South America's "tri-border area" between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.

"Given the backdrop of the war in Gaza... Hezbollah and the Iranian regime are continuing to operate around the world in order to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets," Mossad's statement added.

Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim organisation which exerts significant political influence in Lebanon and controls the country's most powerful armed force.

It was established in the early 1980s and like Hamas in the Gaza Strip is considered a terrorist organisation by the UK, the US, Israel, Gulf Arab countries and other nations.