A suspected drone strike has hit an RAF base in Cyprus, the Ministry of Defence said.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: “Our armed forces are responding to a suspected drone strike at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at midnight local time.
“Our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people."
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The MoD spokesperson added: “This is a live situation and further information will be provided in due course.”
The update comes shortly after a "security threat" was announced at the British bases in Cyprus just before midnight on Sunday. Air sirens have reportedly been heard at the base and fighter jets scrambled.
The Cyprus Mail reports that staff at the base were notified of the threat, and ordered to "return to your homes and stay inside until further notice". They were additionally instructed to "move away from windows and take cover behind or beneath substantial, solid furniture", and to await further instruction.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that two Iranian missiles has been fired toward Cyprus, but they had been intercepted. Speaking about yesterday's attack, Mr Healey said: "We are pretty sure they weren’t targeted at our bases", however, he added that "it shows how indiscriminate" the Iranian retaliation is.
He said: "We don’t believe they were targeted at Cyprus, but nevertheless it’s an example of how there is a very real and rising threat from a regime that is lashing out widely across the region."
"It demonstrates how our bases, our personnel, military and civilians at the moment are at risk with a regime that is increasingly indiscriminate, widespread and uncontrollable in the attacks it's mounting," Mr Healey added.
Israeli journalist Bitton Rosen reported that an "explosion" had been heard close to the British Akrotiri Air Force base in Limassol. He said the blast might have been caused by a "crash".
Rosen reported: "Suspicion of a crash at the British Akrotiri Air Force base in Limassol, Cyprus. A strong explosion was heard in the area, and simultaneously alarms at the base and the scramble of aircraft."
The explosions were reported just hours after Keir Starmer said that British armed forces in the Middle East were 'at risk'. He said:“Our Armed Forces, who are located across the region, are also being put at risk by Iran’s actions. “Yesterday Iran hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel.
There are two large British Armed Forces bases on Cyprus, Akrotiri and Dhekelia. In addition there are around 40 sites on the island used by the British for military purposes.
The bases are home to thousands of British personnel, permanently assigned to the island and are of key strategic importance due to the island location close to the Middle East.
