Warning to hunters from UNFICYP

UNFICYP yesterday issued a warning to hunters that the buffer zone was out of bounds to them when the hunting season begins tomorrow.

In an announcement, the peacekeeping force reminded the hunters of the need to act cautiously and responsibly, both for their own safety and the safety of others they might come into contact with. “In the past, hunters have proved to be a hazard to each other and to UNFICYP personnel,” the announcement said.

“Hunters wearing camouflage outfits and carrying guns are easily mistaken for soldiers and therefore can be at risk of being fired upon by either of the opposing forces, should they inadvertently enter the buffer zone.”

The announcement said that firing of guns in the narrow areas between the ceasefire line inevitably increases tension because soldiers on duty cannot immediately determine where the shots have come from and may feel obliged to react.

It also reminds hunters that careless behaviour, and smoking in particular may cause forest fires at this time of the year.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.