Nicosia: The Iranian-made unmanned aircraft that hit the British Bases in Cyprus earlier in the week was launched from Lebanon, according to Cyprus' Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, the Guardian reports. As Kombos stated, this development confirms Nicosia's concerns that military installations on the island could become targets in a broader regional conflict.
According to Cyprus News Agency, a few hours after the incident, two additional drones were detected and intercepted in the sea area off Cyprus, while according to the Cypriot authorities they also appear to have been launched from Lebanon, the Guardian notes.
At the same time, the report refers to statements by Cypriot government officials who have repeatedly stressed that Cyprus is not involved in military operations and seeks to maintain its role as a stabilising and humanitarian actor in the region. They also underline that the British bases - and not the Cypriot state - constitute the primary target of potential attacks, given that they are used for operations in the Middle East.
In the early hours of March 2, a Shahed-type drone struck military facilities in the British Bases, hosted in Akrotiri, in the southern tip of Cyprus, causing minor damage, amid regional turmoil following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The attack by the Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, believed to be linked to Hezbollah operating in Lebanon, prompted heightened security measures, while several countries, including Greece and France, said they were deploying warships, aircraft, and other air defense assets to shield Cyprus. The UK also announced the dispatch of a warship. Nicosia reiterates that it has no involvement in the wider Middle East conflict.
Source: Cyprus News Agency