(Reuters) – A small blast occurred overnight outside the Israeli embassy in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, police said. No damage or injuries were reported and four people were later remanded in custody.
Police said a metal object containing “a small amount of pyrotechnic material” exploded about 30 metres away from a perimeter compound of the embassy, which lies in a heavily populated area of Nicosia.
Four people aged between 17 and 21 found in the area were remanded on suspicion of attempting to destroy property with explosives, possession and use of explosive materials and carrying a weapon. In the car of one of the detainees police found 2 knives and a hammer.
The detainees were Syrians, a police source said.
Cyprus, on the edge of the volatile Middle East, has tightened security at locations across the island. In the wake of fresh violence authorities widened a security cordon around the embassy, shutting off civilian roads.
The embassy was the target of a botched bombing attempt in 1988 when a car packed with explosives went off on a nearby bridge, killing three people.
