A 17-year-old boy from Paphos was arrested on Thursday night following a series of violent incidents in the nearby village of Emba, which were apparently related to a traffic collision earlier in the week, police said on Friday.

The accident, which took place on Wednesday, had apparently “caused tensions”, with a 26-year-old man having told the police that a friend of his had been involved in the accident, and that afterwards, he had given his telephone number to an “unknown person” at the scene with the aim of diffusing tensions.

Later on Wednesday, he received a call from the person in question, and, believing that they would then meet to resolve the misunderstanding, sent him his location – a block of flats in Emba. He said he was then attacked by multiple people.

One of his friends, a 24-year-old man, attempted to intervene in the matter, and was himself attacked, suffering a broken jaw.

He was taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery, and where he remains.

The police were made aware of the incident on Wednesday night when they were informed that someone had thrown a Molotov cocktail in the block of flats’ vicinity, near its generator.

The police and fire brigade immediately went to the scene, though the fire caused by the Molotov cocktail had already been put out by residents by the time they arrived.

It was upon their arrival at the block of flats that they were informed of the course of events and launched an investigation.

The 17-year-old boy was then arrested on Thursday in connection with the incidents.

The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.