The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) will launch a new excavation on Tuesday in the occupied Assia village to locate the remains of two Greek Cypriot soldiers missing since 1974, who according to information by the Turkish Cypriot side were buried there.
CNA has learned that the excavation will take place outside a military camp. In the past an excavation took place at a nearby place after information that Greek Cypriot soldiers were buried there. However nothing was discovered.
Excavations are also underway in six other sites: one in Lefkoniko where CMP is seeking for the remains of Greek Cypriots missing since 1974, one in Hamit Mantres village, where they are looking for a mass burial site of Greek Cypriots near Trachonas village where two mass burial sites were discovered in the past, and in Yerani, where they are looking for a Greek Cypriot who went missing in 1974.
Excavations are also carried out in Sysklipos and Famagusta looking for the remains of Greek Cypriots missing since 1974 and in Strovolos where they are seeking the remains of 4-5 Turkish Cypriots who went missing in 1964.
CNA has learned that due to the continuous rainfall, the CMP teams working at the excavation sites have faced difficulties during the last two weeks, because of the excess quantity of water and mud. CMP is expected to ask for the assistance of the Fire Service to pump out water from the excavation site in Strovolos.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.
A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.
The CMP is a tripartite intercommunal investigatory committee comprising a representative of the Greek Cypriot community, a representative of the Turkish Cypriot community, and a Third Member nominated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and appointed by the UN Secretary General.
