Cyprus authorities said Tuesday (December 7th) that 27 migrants believed to be Syrian refugees from Aleppo were rescued after their boat was towed ashore on the island's north-west coast, AFP reported.

Marine police went to the aid of their vessel after it was spotted drifting in Cypriot waters.

The rescued migrants told police the captain of the boat had abandoned them and escaped on a jet ski, state radio said.

Police said the refugees will stay in the Paphos area overnight before being transferred to a reception centre outside the capital Nicosia.

They said 16 men, five children and six women were saved, and that a pregnant woman was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Police believe the boat departed from Mersin in Turkey, and state radio reported the migrants as saying they had paid $2,150 each to be taken to Cyprus.

It also reported a witness at the dock to where the boat was towed saying his fiancee and some friends were on board after escaping from the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The Paphos area has been a hotspot for traffickers. In September and November, 83 and 128 Syrian migrants respectively were rescued there under similar circumstances.