Seven Iraqis were hurt in a blast, possibly from a landmine, in Cyprus on Friday while trying to cross into EU territory through a ceasefire line dividing the island, police said. According to a Reuters report, the group, including three minors, were taken to hospital in the south of the island where they underwent treatment. One man suffered serious injuries and a four-year-old child was hit by fragments from the blast, police said.

They were abandoned at a hospital by suspected traffickers and police could not specify where the blast occurred, she said. According to the authorities, the group had told police they had arrived in northern Cyprus on Dec. 4 and were led to the line by people who told them they would be received on the other side. "They had attempted to cross the line and while walking there was an explosion, possibly from a landmine," a police spokeswoman said.

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