A man was shot dead in the bi-communal village of Pyla/Pile on Tuesday night. Reports say that Georgios Georgiou (40) was killed in a drive-by shooting incident outside his home which lies on the outskirts of the village, on the main road.
Police say he was known to them and that he was part of a criminal network. Georgiou had been the target of a gang since last July. A previous attempt to kill him had been foiled by police.
Residents had complained of the presence of a gambling den in the area. Pile is one of only four villages that lie within the UN buffer zone.
The village, located in the buffer zone, is inhabited by Greek and Turkish Cypriots but because of its status it is not policed by the Republic’s authorities.
Pyla/Pile in the Larnaca district, is unique in that it is the only bi-communal village on the island still occupied by its original inhabitants. There are 850 Greek Cypriots and 487 Turkish Cypriots living in the village, according to the latest census.
Cyprus Weekly
