566 Chapter 5
Narrative: On December 12, 1987, an Iranian attack set a Cypriot-flagged tanker on
fire. On December 15 and 16, Iraqi warplanes raided a Cypriot-flagged tanker (the
27,244-ton Mimi M twice, once on each day.
On January 29, 1988, Iraqi jets attacked another Cypriot tanker. On May 14, 1988,
Iraqi warplanes set five super tankers ablaze during a long-range bombing raid on
Iranian oil offshore terminal, one of these super tankers was bearing the Cypriot flag.
352 CYPRUS/651 EGYPT
MID#3604
Dispute Number: 3604
Date(s): February 19, 1978
Participants: 651 Egypt/352 Cyprus
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: 1–25 deaths
Narrative: Egyptian commandos stormed a plane held hostage by terrorists in Cyprus.
Cyprus claimed negotiators were about to reach an agreement with the terrorists, when
the commandos stormed the plane. This action triggered a clash between Egyptian and
Cypriot forces. It is unclear which side fired first. Fifteen Egyptian commandos were
killed in the clash.
Coding changes: Fatalities changed from Missing.
MID#2163
Dispute Number: 2163
Date(s): February 19, 1978
Participants: 651 Egypt/352 Cyprus
Outcome (and Settlement): Compromise (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 1–25 deaths
Narrative: On February 18, 1978, shortly after the Camp David Accords were signed,
two Palestinian gunmen assassinated Youssef Sebai, a prominent Egyptian newspaper
editor and friend of Anwar Sadat’s, in the lobby of the Cyprus Hilton. The gunmen
then took several hostages whom they sought to transport to an Arab country. They
left Cyprus with 12 hostages, but the only Arab country that allowed them to land was
Djibouti; however, Djibouti only allowed the terrorists to refuel before forcing their
return to Cyprus.
Egypt sent a plane to Cyprus that it said had Egyptian officials ready to participate
in negotiations with the gunmen; actually, 75 commandos were aboard to conduct a
raid on the plane. A battle ensued between the Egyptians and Cypriot national guards-
men that resulted in the deaths of 15 Egyptians and the destruction of their plane. The
rest of the commandos surrendered. The next day Cyprus released the commandos but
demanded the Egyptian military attaché in Nicosia return to Egypt. The two terrorists
surrendered and released the hostages, and Cyprus refused to turn the terrorists over to