House set ablaze in Easter violence

A house belonging to a 73-year-old man was set on fire on Saturday night as a group of up to 70 youths attacked police who had been called as a lambradjia fire spread to adjacent cypress trees.

The incident took place in the village of Kiti, near Larnaca, with police having been dispatched to the scene to secure the area for the fire brigade and to regulate traffic.

They in turn were attacked by the youths who had lit the fire, with firecrackers being thrown at them and at the neighbouring house, which belongs to the 73-year-old.

Fires broke out in various areas of the man’s house as well as on its veranda, while rocks were also thrown at it, breaking some of its windows.

Police eventually managed to restore order in the situation, and the youths fled.

However, some of the youths reportedly returned to the scene later that evening, throwing more rocks at the house, this time breaking glass panes in the house’s front door.

The police then arrived at the scene for a second time, and the youths once again dispersed.

One eyewitness told the Cyprus Mail that the incident in all lasted for a total of six hours, and that a local playground and a local church were also damaged by the same group of youths during the night.

No arrests have been reported thus far, though the police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.