Drone crash at RAF Akrotiri
An Iranian drone crashed into a British RAF base in Cyprus on Sunday, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has said, sparking tensions with Iran.
No casualties were reported and the base sustained “minimal damage”, but the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said family members would be moved to alternative accommodation as a precautionary measure.
On Monday, employees at the base received a message warning them of an “ongoing security threat” as sirens were reported in the area.
A Cypriot government spokesman said two drones heading towards RAF Akrotiri were intercepted in time.
It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had agreed to a US request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes.
The incident at RAF Akrotiri took place at around midnight local time on Sunday (22:00 GMT).
In a recorded message, Christodoulides said a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle crashed inside the British Sovereign Base Area.
Security measures and base dispersal
The Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed that it was planning the “temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel” from RAF Akrotiri Station.
The temporary dispersal notice would only apply to the military base, it said, adding that there was no need for residents to leave the nearby Akrotiri village. Akrotiri village has since been evacuated, although surrounding areas have not.
On Monday, employees at the base received a message telling them to stay away from windows and take shelter behind furniture.
Paphos airport alert and US embassy warning
An alarm was separately raised at Paphos Airport after a suspected drone was spotted in the airspace and evacuation instructions were given.
The US embassy in Cyprus further warned of a possible drone threat in the Paphos region.
EU and UK reaction
President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she had been briefed on Sunday’s attack by the Cypriot president.
“While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” she said in a statement on social media.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Breakfast the government was still investigating the details of the incident – with the MoD assessing details including the source, locations and timings.
“We have seen the Iranian strikes – drone strikes and missile strikes – across Gulf partners and a whole series of areas that have not been involved in any strikes on Iran and it just really shows the seriousness of the reckless way the Iranian regime is behaving,” Cooper said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Cypriot government said the country would make formal representations to the United Kingdom regarding how the incident was handled locally – with concerns appearing to centre around information sharing with both local authorities and residents of the wider Akrotiri area.
Wider regional conflict
The latest conflict began on Saturday morning when Israel and the US launched a “massive” and ongoing attack against Iran’s leadership and military, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei among those killed.
Iran has responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.
Defence Secretary John Healey said earlier on Sunday that British troops and civilians in the Middle East were being put at risk from “indiscriminate attacks” by Iran.
In a separate earlier incident, Healey said two ballistic missiles were fired towards Cyprus although he was “pretty sure” it was not being targeted.
A Cypriot government spokesman later said Sir Keir had “clearly confirmed that Cyprus was not a target” during a telephone call with Christodoulides.
On Sunday, an RAF Typhoon jet operating out of Qatar shot down an Iranian drone in a “defensive air patrol”, the Ministry of Defence said.
It was the first time a UK fighter had brought down an Iranian drone since the US and Iran strikes began.
Earlier, a UK counter-drone unit in Iraq took down an Iranian drone that was heading towards a coalition base housing UK service personnel.
However, Sir Keir said the UK had learned lessons from the “mistakes of Iraq”, and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and would “not join offensive action now”.
Sir Keir said the basis of the decision to accept the US request to use British military bases was the “collective self-defence” of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a “scorched-earth strategy”.
The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites.
Source: With information from CNA/BBC
Also read: Two drones intercepted near Akrotiri British Bases
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