British Air Base in Cyprus Hit by Suspected Drone Strike

In this image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 is prepared to take off to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (AS1 Leah Jones/Ministry of Defence via AP)
In this image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 is prepared to take off to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (AS1 Leah Jones/Ministry of Defence via AP)
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British Air Base in Cyprus Hit by Suspected Drone Strike

In this image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 is prepared to take off to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (AS1 Leah Jones/Ministry of Defence via AP)
In this image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 is prepared to take off to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024. (AS1 Leah Jones/Ministry of Defence via AP)

Britain's Royal Air Force base Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone strike overnight, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot authorities and the UK's Ministry of Defense said.

A Cyprus government spokesperson ⁠said that "information received through ⁠various channels indicates that it involved an unmanned drone, which caused limited damage.”

A security alert put out to residents in ⁠the vicinity of Akrotiri by the British bases administration advised residents to shelter in place until further notice 'following a suspected drone impact.’

Britain retains sovereignty over the territory of two bases on the eastern Mediterranean island, which is a member ⁠of ⁠the European Union.

RAF Akrotiri covers a sprawling, square-shaped peninsula on the southern tip of Cyprus. The last time it was directly attacked was by Libyan militants in the mid-1980s.

The incident came as Britain agreed on Sunday to allow the United States to use British military bases to fire "defensive" strikes at Iranian missile systems.