NICOSIA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Four people died in a gangland shootout Thursday night at Cyprus' popular Ayia Napa sea resort in an incident which the police said Friday may be related to local gangs feuding for control of tourist spots.
Police said the dead were a local businessman, a policeman and his wife, and a foreign national, believed to be a hit man from Albania.
An off-duty policeman and the businessman's bodyguard were injured.
A police spokesman said the shooting occurred shortly before midnight when the businessman, Fanos Kalopsidioitis, 51, was dining with the policeman, 46, his wife, 39, and their two children.
Eyewitnesses said three hooded people burst into the open-air restaurant and started shooing with Kalashnikov automatic guns at those sitting at the table.
Three body guards sitting nearby returned fire.
The police have begun a manhunt for the arrest of one of the two attackers who fled. He is believed to be injured. A burning car in the region in which a Kalashnikov was found is believed to be connected to the shooting.
The police speculated the shooting was directly connected to a similar incident exactly four years ago in which five people, four of whom were guardsmen of the slain businessman, were shot dead in a car by two hit men from Greece not far from Thursday's shooting.
Two years ago, Kalopsidioitis' father was shot dead.
Serious crime is rare in Cyprus, which this year is expected to receive a record number of tourists, mostly from western European countries. However, there are sporadic clashes between gangs trying to obtain a bigger share of the lucrative spots catering to tourists.
