A village adjacent to a British RAF base in Cyprus was left nearly deserted after drones struck the military site, prompting residents to flee. The attack targeted the strategically important RAF Akrotiri base amid the US-Israeli-led conflict with Iran.
While initially blamed on Iran, the drones are now believed to have been launched by pro-Iranian militias in Lebanon or Iraq. The incident caused widespread alarm among villagers, many of whom evacuated. The base houses approximately 4,000 UK service personnel and 7,000 civilians and their families.
Mother-of-three Christina S, 25, described being woken by the drone noise and rushing her family to safety. “I just jumped out of bed and got everyone out of the house as soon as I heard the sirens,” she said. “Your first thought is for the children.” Another resident, Mariana, 40, evacuated to stay with family in Limassol, initially mistaking the shaking windows for an earthquake.
Deputy Mayor George Konstantinou, 69, reported that only a handful of the 1,100 residents remained after evacuation orders. “On the first night, everyone except maybe 40 people left,” he said. “Now most of the village is back but the schools are still closed.” He described the drone strike as a first for the area, leaving residents shocked.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey visited Cyprus on Thursday to meet his Cypriot counterpart following the breach, where a Shahed-style drone successfully struck the base despite defences. The village of Akrotiri, known for its ancient ruins, remains largely quiet as residents await further government decisions on school reopenings.
