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British Troops In Nine-Hour Stand Off With Protesters
Two hundred British troops based in Cyprus have been involved in a nine-hour stand-off with protesters angry at an operation to clear illegal vegetation from a firing range.
The confrontation happened in the early hours at Xylofagou, a village near Dhekelia Station, the British Army’s base to the east of the island near Larnaca.
Authorities say troops from 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment were clearing four acres of illegally planted acacia trees and other plants when around 80-100 protestors arrived and blocked their exit route.
In a statement, the Sovereign Base Areas said the trees were being removed as they were ‘restricting arcs of fire and visibility’ during live firing exercises. They added:
"This presents a danger for troops"
Acacia trees are also illegally planted by poachers who use them to attract Blackcaps and other small songbirds which migrate to Cyprus each autumn.
The birds are lured into the trees then trapped in fine 'mist nets'. Once dead they are cooked and served whole, in a dish known as 'ambelopoulia'.
After negotiations with local community leaders, the protest eventually ended around noon local time. No one was arrested.
"Early reports suggested that military personnel were prevented from leaving the area. This was not true," the SBA spokesman added.
"They were able to leave on foot but elected to stay with their vehicles.
"Whilst vegetation was predominantly removed for range safety reasons this action bolsters the SBAs long-term commitment to remove all invasive plant species from our agreed Special Areas of Conservation and contributes towards our campaign to prevent illegal hunting of migrating birds."
Picture: Bases personnel training with live ammunition on Pyla range where clear fields of view are vital for safety reasons
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