A Greek Cypriot firefighter detained by police from the north in the UN buffer zone near Pyla on Thursday morning has been released, according to the Cyprus Fire Service and UNFICYP.
The officer, attached to the Larnaca Fire Service, was apprehended while conducting a vegetation clearance inspection along the boundary between the buffer zone and the government-controlled areas. Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis confirmed the release and said the circumstances of the incident are being investigated by the Cyprus Police.
According to information available, the authorities in the north were persuaded by explanations provided that the firefighter had entered the Pergamos area accidentally in the course of an official duty, and released him on that basis.
UNFICYP spokesperson Alim Siddiq said that UN Police officers had that morning accompanied the firefighter into what he described as a "sensitive area" of the Pyla plateau. "The firefighter was briefly detained by the Turkish Cypriot police," Siddiq said, adding that UNPOL officers intervened "immediately" and secured his prompt release. "The safety and protection of civilians within the buffer zone remains our highest priority," he said.
