Akrotiri, Cyprus. The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Monday confirmed that a drone hit the runway at the UK’s Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus, causing minor damage with no casualties reported.
Cooper confirms strike on runway
Cooper told Sky News that the incident was “an unmanned drone strike, specifically on the airport runway,” adding that she could not provide further details but that “all of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base.”
Asked whether the UK is now a “target,” Cooper said the UK has “300,000 British citizens in countries which are already being targeted,” and that prior to the previous night, the UK had observed “strikes come extremely close to British personnel” elsewhere in the region.
Pressed for details on the Cyprus incident, she said, “we do not know the details of this particular drone incident on Cyprus or the timings of it either, so I do not want to speculate on that one.”
Cooper said that “over the weekend, we have seen hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones fired from Iran” on countries in the region, “and that is why this is significant.”
Base personnel instructed to remain in place
Personnel on the British bases were informed shortly after 1am that a “small drone” had “impacted the airfield” and that base authorities were responding.
Authorities confirmed there were no casualties but that “minor damage” had been caused.
Personnel were instructed to “remain in place and await further instruction,” with a warning that “there may be additional impact.” Explosion and siren sounds were heard in nearby Limassol.
Cyprus says it is not participating in military action
Later on Monday morning, President Nikos Christodoulides said Cypriot forces are “not participating in any way” in military action in the widening conflict in the Middle East.
“I want to be clear: our homeland is not participating in any way, and do not intend to be part of any military operation. We remain committed to the humanitarian role we have served all this time, always acting as part of the solution, and not of the problem,” he said in a televised address.
What precautions do you think should be communicated to nearby communities during such incidents?
