NICOSIA (AP) — A dozen Israelis have been detained after a 19-year-old British woman alleged that she was raped in the Cyprus resort town of Ayia Napa, a Cyprus police official said Wednesday.

The police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation, said it’s still early in the investigation and it’s unclear how many suspects are implicated in the case.

The official couldn’t say how the suspects knew the woman or whether they had been staying in Ayia Napa together as a group.

State broadcaster RIK reported the alleged rape happened early Wednesday in the same hotel where the woman and the 12 suspects were staying separately.

It’s believed the suspects will appear in a Famagusta district court on Thursday for a custody hearing.

Ayia Napa is very popular with young tourists for its pristine beaches and vibrant night life on the island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

—
By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS Associated Press