38 refugees arrive in Cyprus, 7th such group this year

NICOSIA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A group of 38 refugees, believed to be Syrians, arrived at dawn on the northwestern shores of Cyprus -- the seventh such group to arrive by sea this year, the police said in a statement on Tuesday.

The police said that there were 33 men, one woman and 4 children aboard a small boat, which originally was spotted several kilometers off the coast.

A police patrol boat approached the boat when about two nautical miles off the shore and directed the man at the wheel to follow it.

Sources said the man ignored the directions and tried to evade and the commander of the local marine police fired two warning shots.

The police statement said the boat was towed into a small port at the fishing and agricultural community of Kato Pyrgos, without mentioning the firing of warning shots.

Local authorities and the Social Services department offered food and water to the refugees, who had been at sea for almost two days, before they were transported to a refugee reception center near the capital Nicosia for processing.

The new arrivals raised to nearly 700 the number of refugees, almost all Syrians, who arrived on the eastern Mediterranean island after sailing from Turkey so far this year. Enditem