British Soldier Stabbed to Death in Cyprus Nightclub Brawl

A teenage British soldier has been stabbed to death in Cyprus, leading to the arrest of three Britons.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the death of the 19-year-old soldier in a nightclub in Ayia Napa.

Three British tourists and four off-duty soldiers were involved in a brawl in the nightclub which eventually led to one of the travellers stabbing the soldier with a knife, said authorities in Cyprus.

Police spokesman, George Economou, said the victim was declared on arrival at the hospital. An investigation is on into the incident and forensic experts are working on the recovered knife.

An MoD spokesperson said: "It is with great sadness that the MoD must confirm that a soldier from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has died in an incident in Cyprus. An investigation is being conducted by Cyprus police and it would be inappropriate to comment any further. The family has been informed and our thoughts are with them."

The arrested Britons are expected to appear in court later.

"We are aware of the arrest of three British nationals in Ayia Napa and we are providing consular assistance," said a Foreign Office spokesperson.

British troops have been banned from entering the Ayia Napa resort since 1994. They had been told to stay off the resort which is at the eastern-end of the southern coast of Cyprus, due to past incidents. Nearly 3,000 British troops are stationed in Cyprus.