UK says drone that hit British base in Cyprus not launched from Iran
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Photo: AFP
New Delhi: The UK Ministry of Defence has said that a “Shahed-like drone” which targeted the British Royal Air Force base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was not launched from Iran.
According to reports by the Associated Press, the drone managed to evade advanced radar systems at the Akrotiri base early on March 3. In response, RAF Typhoon fighter jets along with six Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft were deployed to intercept the drone. Officials were quoted as saying that the attack caused limited damage to an aircraft hangar near the runway.
The incident occurred days after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, in a war that has reportedly resulted in more than 1,000 deaths in Iran, the Wire reported.
In a social media update posted at 10.33 pm IST on March 4, the UK defence ministry said that RAF Typhoon and F-35B jets had continued defensive air missions across the Middle East overnight, supported by Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft, in order to protect British interests and allies in the region.
The ministry added that it could confirm the Shahed-type drone that targeted RAF Akrotiri around midnight on March 2 had not originated from Iran. The clarification has led to speculation that the drone may have been launched from elsewhere in the region, including Lebanon, where Israel has carried out military operations.
The UK also stated that air defence systems had been resupplied to British and allied bases across the region in the past 24 hours, including UK-made air defence missiles. It further said that Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters equipped with Martlet missiles, designed to counter aerial threats, would arrive in Cyprus in the coming days.
The strike has been viewed as a sign of the widening regional impact of the US-Israel conflict with Iran. It is also being described as the first instance since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in which a third country has carried out an attack on Cypriot territory.
The British government has maintained that the drone attack was unrelated to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to allow the United States to use UK bases for operations against Iran, arguing that the drone had been launched before the announcement was made on Sunday evening.