Newsletters
Greek Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said an Iranian-made drone that struck the United Kingdom’s Akrotiri military base on the island was launched from Lebanon, according to a report by The Guardian.
Kombos said the origin of the drone attack pointed to threats coming from Lebanon.
“Right now, it’s a fact that we have to be looking towards the Lebanese front,” Kombos told the British newspaper. “We cannot exclude anything from the broader direction of the northeast. We have to be very careful,” he said.
He added that authorities must ensure defense systems cover all possible threats.
“We have to make sure that the systems in place are covering all possibilities of threat,” Kombos said.
Britain maintains sovereignty over two military bases in Greek Cyprus, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, under a treaty that established Cyprus’s independence in 1960.
Kombos said Greek Cyprus had repeatedly warned that the British bases could become targets if the regional situation escalated.
Greek Cyprus had “consistently communicated” concerns that the bases might be targeted “if things move in a specific direction regionally,” he said.
Kombos said the drone strike showed that security measures had not fully met expectations.
“It was evident not everything that could be done was done to the level of expectations that we have, that people living and working in the bases, Cypriots, also have, and I’m sure the British government has as well,” he said.
He added that the focus now should be on improving cooperation in response to such threats.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
