More Bombings In Cyprus In Spite Of New Patrols

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27912, 8 March 1956, Page 13

More Bombings In Cyprus In Spite Of New Patrols

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) NICOSIA, March 6. British troops continued to patrol Nicosia tonight in unprecedented strength after official warnings during the last 24 hours that terrorism will be stamped out in Cyprus. In spite of the patrols, however, there were two reports of bombs being thrown. Terrorists hurled a bomb at a British Army patrol vehicle near Peyia village, north of Paphos, on the west coast. The explosion caused neither casualties nor damage. A second bomb thrown at a security force vehicle near Peyia injured a Cypriot Greek who stood nearby. The night programme of Athens Radio, including a new broadcast, was blotted out completely tonight by jamming. This was the third time today Athens Radio had been jammed.

Tonight’s was the heaviest jamming so far.

One Greek citizen described it as “a din like half a dozen pneumatic drills working at the same time.” In the Greek quarters where radios were tuned into an Athens broadcast of popular music, the streets were filled with a grinding din as the jamming was suddenly applied. The sets were switched off.

The Ethnarchy Educational Council, meeting under Archbishop Makarios as chairman, today decided that all Greek secondary schools closed by the decision of their headmasters should be reopened next Monday. About 10 schools in the island were closed voluntarily by their headmasters, after student unrest in January.

Several other Greek schools were closed by government order. Three prominent Communists detained under the Cyprus emergency laws today applied in Nicosia for a write of habeas corpus, claiming that their detention was illegal. They include Ezekias Papaioannou. general secretary of the banned A.K.E.L. (Communist) Party.

Apart from claiming that their detention was illegal, the men said they had been given no reasons for their detention, and that there had been no proof that they were a danger to public security.

The three leaders were among 13. r Communist Cypriots who were arres ted by security forces on December 1 under the emergency regulations. On the same day the A.K.E.L. Part? was proscribed. The men have been detained evei since.