Three officers were injured during a confrontation with suspected poachers near the buffer zone, after their patrol vehicles were rammed by suspects attempting to flee, police said Tuesday.
Members of the Anti-Poaching Unit spotted three vehicles moving through the buffer zone near Potamia around 8 p.m. on Monday. When officers attempted to intercept the vehicles, one driver accelerated towards a police officer who had exited the patrol car.
The officer fired his service weapon at the vehicle’s tyres, but the driver, along with a second vehicle, managed to escape into the buffer zone.
When ordered to stop, the driver of the third vehicle also accelerated towards a police officer, who managed to get back into the patrol car before the suspect’s vehicle collided with its front end. Despite officers firing at the vehicle’s tyres, this driver also escaped into the buffer zone.
Three members of the Anti-Poaching Unit were treated at Nicosia General Hospital for injuries and were placed on sick leave.
Police are investigating the case.
Read more:
