Cyprus police and National Guard warn against entering firing ranges
Authorities say military training areas remain off-limits even after exercises end, and shell casings found there are not free to take.
Police and the National Guard have issued a joint warning telling the public to keep away from firing ranges and restricted military zones, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The authorities stress that entering these areas carries serious risks.
The ban applies during live firing and military exercises, but it does not lapse once the shooting stops. Authorities also point out that shell casings, ammunition and similar items lying on a range are not abandoned property: under the National Guard Law, weaponry and military equipment belong to the Republic of Cyprus.
“Do not risk your life or your safety to collect items from a firing range,” the warning said.
Members of the public are asked to avoid touching or shifting any suspicious object and to alert the relevant authorities at once, and to respect signage and instructions in military areas. Firing ranges, the authorities add, are neither recreational spaces nor places to gather material.
What it means for residents
For anyone living near training grounds or walking in the countryside, the practical message is simple: a range is not a shortcut or a picnic spot, and its boundaries stay dangerous well after the noise stops.
- Keep your distance. Treat every marked military zone as off-limits, whether or not exercises are visibly under way.
- Leave finds where they are. Picking up casings or other items can be treated as taking state property, besides the obvious safety hazard.
- Report, don’t handle. If you spot something suspicious, call the authorities rather than moving it yourself.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
