Turkish Cypriot police say multiple officers injured in Pyla incident

The Turkish Cypriot police said on Saturday morning that multiple officers had been taken to hospital following the incident which took place in Pyla on Friday.

They said that a total of 15 Turkish Cypriot police personnel were taken to hospital, eight of whom had been “beaten”.

Describing the incident, they said “despite repeated warnings to [UN peacekeepers] to evacuate the area, they did not. At this point, TRNC police personnel on duty in the area began to advance to remove UN peacekeeping force soldiers and vehicles that were blocking the passage from the area, and a clash ensued”.

All 15 police personnel were discharged from hospital on Friday, while it has been reported that no signs of assault or force were found on seven of them.

The Turkish Cypriot police added that their “security measures” in the Pyla area will continue.