UK RAF airbase in Cyprus hit by drone strike

A one-way attack drone struck the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus at about midnight local time, prompting a partial evacuation and a security alert that advised nearby residents to shelter in place. The Ministry of Defence said force protection in the region was at the highest level and that the base had responded to defend personnel.

Anti-drone measures had been stepped up but were insufficient to stop the strike, the MoD added. The incident is not thought to have caused any casualties and caused only limited damage; family members of British personnel were asked to leave the base and will be accommodated elsewhere on Cyprus as a precaution.

The strike came hours after the UK agreed to let the US use British military bases to attack Iranian missile sites, though officials say flight-time assessments suggest the drone was launched before the prime minister’s announcement. It may have been launched from Iran or by a regional proxy such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Cyprus, Akrotiri

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