Two women, aged 21 and 19, were arrested late on Thursday in Larnaca for illegal entry into the government-controlled areas.

Police said they found the suspects accompanying a 40-year-old woman with her three children and they failed to present any travel documents.

They added the woman and her children appear to have entered the territory of the Republic through a point in the buffer zone not controlled by the local authorities.

During investigations, two more minors showed up at the police station, who it emerged, were also children of the older woman, police said.

They were transferred to a reception centre for asylum seekers while the two women were arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry and conspiracy to commit a felony.