Cyprus detains Israelis after a British woman accuses them of raping her

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A Cyprus court has ordered five Israelis to be held in police custody for eight days for an investigation after a 20-year-old British woman accused them of raping her in the coastal resort town of Ayia Napa, officials said Monday.

A law enforcement official said three of the Israelis are 19 years old and the remaining two are 20. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak about the case publicly.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it received a report that six Israeli citizens had been arrested in connection with the alleged rape. No reason was given for the discrepancy in the number of arrests.

The ministry said in a statement that it is in touch with both Cypriot authorities and the families of the detained Israelis.