Unficyp on Monday condemned an attack by unidentified people against a UN patrol vehicle on Saturday evening.

The incident took place at around 10pm inside the buffer zone, approximately three kilometres east of Yeri with the perpetrators fleeing south in a vehicle, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (Unficyp) said.

A UN patrol vehicle was damaged in the incident, but “thankfully no peacekeepers were harmed or injured,” the force added.

Deliberate attacks targeting peacekeepers constitute a serious crime under international law.

Unficyp said it welcomed the thorough investigation being conducted by local authorities and called on them to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The mission is monitoring the situation closely and has stepped up patrols by peacekeepers in the area to ensure that calm and stability is maintained,” it concluded.