The 1 April Attacks were a series of attacks across Cyprus in 1955 by the
Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) which led to the start of the
Cyprus Emergency
The Cyprus Emergency ( gr, Απελευθερωτικός Αγώνας της Κύπρου 1955–59), also known as the Greek Cypriot War of Independence or Cypriot War of Independence, was a conflict fought in British Cyprus between November 1 ...
. Multiple British locations were attacked after midnight by EOKA members. This attack was accompanied by the distribution of leaflets across Cyprus.
Attack
On the night of 31 March–1 April 1955, simultaneous attacks were launched across the island after midnight at various British or British-linked facilities, including:
*in
Nicosia, the government radio station, the Secretariat, the Education Office and the installations behind Wolseley barracks (this attack was led by
Markos Drakos);
*in Larnaca, the central police station, the district administration, the court building, the police superintendent's home, Commissioner Muftizade's home;
*in
Limassol
Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...
, the central police station, the police station of Ayios Ioannis quarter, the Episkopi garrison; in Limassol district also sustained heavy damage by the explosions.
*in Famagusta district, the depot of the army camp near the Famagusta-Larnaca road, the fuel tank of the Dhekelia garrison power station. (The latter attack was led by
Grigoris Afxentiou
Grigoris Pieris Afxentiou ( el, Γρηγόρης Πιερής Αυξεντίου; 22 February 1928 – 3 March 1957) was a Greek-Cypriot insurgent leader who led campaigns against the British colonial government as a member of EOKA. He was second ...
).
During this attack, Modestos Panteli of the EOKA died from electric shock trying to cut a cable, the first casualty of the Emergency. The attacks were accompanied by the distribution of leaflets from
EOKA claiming responsibility and calling on Cypriots to participate in the struggle. Several EOKA officers were arrested in connection to the attacks and sentenced to long prison terms.
"The EOKA struggle during the Governorship of Armitage (1 April - 3 October 1955)", ''A history of the liberation struggle of EOKA (1955-1959)''
accessed 7 November 2013
References
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Wars involving the United Kingdom
Cyprus Emergency
Conflicts in 1955
April 1955 events in Europe