2nd Mar 2026 04:18
UK confirms suspected drone strike on airbase in Cyprus
(Alliance News) - The UK Defence Ministry has confirmed that it was responding to a suspected drone attack on a Royal Air Force base in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, according to the PA news agency.
No injuries were reported in the incident near the port city of Limassol and measures have been implemented to protect personnel in the region.
"Our armed forces are responding to a suspected drone strike at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight local time," the ministry said.
"Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people," it continued, adding that further information would be provided later. Authorities in Cyprus did not immediately confirm the incident, and it was unclear who launched the drone.
The Cypriot news portal Cyprus Mail, citing well-informed sources, reported on Monday that a "small drone" struck the airfield of the UK's Akrotiri base. According to the report, the bases' authorities were responding to the incident, which resulted in "minor damage" but no casualties.
The Cypriot news portal Politis published video footage from outside the base, in which alarm sirens could be heard.
Members of the base were instructed to remain where they were and await further instructions. It could not be ruled out that there would be further strikes.
Explosions and sirens could also be heard in the nearby town, according to reports from several Cypriot news portals. The UK maintains two sovereign bases in Cyprus.
The Cypriot government had previously rejected reports that Iranian missiles had been fired towards the EU country.
Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis on Sunday said on social media platform X that such reports were not true.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey had warned of the danger of the "rising risks of increasing Iranian indiscriminate retaliatory attacks". He told British broadcaster Sky News that two Iranian missiles had been fired towards Cyprus.
According to its own statements, The UK is participating in a defensive military operation in the Middle East against Iran. British aircraft will shoot down drones and missiles if they are detected, Healey said, with units operating from bases in Bahrain and Cyprus, among other places.
By Takis Tsafos and Gaby Maria Mahlberg, dpa
source: dpa
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