A few hours after the strike and a few minutes after 12 noon on Monday, the sirens sounded again, while fighter jets took off.
According to information from philenews.com, the British bases were evacuated, the workers left immediately and the gate was closed.
“There is an ongoing security threat. Please return to your homes and stay indoors until further notice. Move away from windows and take cover behind or under sturdy, sturdy furniture. Please await further instructions,” the message sent to workers.
Shortly after 12:30, an alarm was sounded at Paphos airport, after a drone was detected in the airspace. Passengers and staff were instructed to evacuate immediately.
Greece is sending military aid
The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, in his statement today said, among other things, that “by decision of the KYSEA, the frigate “Kimon” is being immediately sent to the Republic of Cyprus together with a second Greek frigate, which will carry the “Kentauros” system as well as a pair of F-16 fighters to contribute to its defense against the threats it faces”.
Two drones were intercepted
According to the Government Representative of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Letympiotis, two drones moving in the direction of the British Bases in Akrotiri were intercepted.
Two drones moving in the direction of the British Bases at Akrotiri were dealt with in time.
— Letymbiotis Kon/nos (@letymbiotis)
Evacuation instructions from the Ministry of Interior
According to information, the area of Dekelia is being evacuated.
Earlier, instructions were given by the Minister of Interior to the Mayor of Kouri, to proceed with a mandatory evacuation of the area.
It is noted that several residents have already left their homes.
At the same time, fighter jets continue to take off from Akrotiri Base.
philenews.com
The Police are on alert – a Crisis Center has been set up at the Headquarters
The Police is on constant alert and constantly evaluating the measures it takes, said the Police representative, Byron Byronos, adding that they have taken reinforcement measures and are on constant alert.
Asked if the Police after the strike on the British Bases have increased the measures they were already taking and are taking, Mr. Byronos said that as the Police they have an operational plan, which started shortly before the start of the Cyprus Presidency with increased security measures in various places, which have been strengthened since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East and continue to evaluate the measures daily based on what is happening.
easyJet: Flights from Britain to Cyprus are cancelled
easyJet has announced the cancellation of all its scheduled flights from Britain to Cyprus until Thursday, citing operational reasons.
According to an update from the airline, affected passengers have already been notified via email and text, and have been given the option of either rebooking on the next available flight or receiving a full refund.
The cancellations concern routes from British airports to Larnaca and Paphos airports. The company clarified that it is closely monitoring developments and will review its flight schedule in the coming days.
At the same time, it recommends that passengers check the status of their flight through the website or its application before going to the airport.
More information is expected when there is a new announcement from the company.
Contact Christodoulidis – von der Leyen
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of Cyprus regarding the “isolated” incident, as she described it, stressing that the EU stands collectively and unequivocally on the side of all member states in the face of any threat.
I talked with President who briefed me on the single incident that occurred shortly after midnight involving an unmanned aerial vehicle targeting the British base in Akrotiri.
While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen)
The president’s full message, as posted on “X”:
“I spoke with President N. Christodoulidis, who informed me about the single incident that happened shortly after midnight and involved an unmanned aircraft, which targeted the British base in Akrotiri.
Although the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and categorically on the side of our member states in the face of any threat.”
Discontent from Nicosia
Nicosia’s displeasure, which was even expressed in the most official way, was caused by the use of British bases in military operations against Iran, which indirectly involve Cyprus as well.
Britain gave permission to the USA to refuel its aircraft from the base at Akrotiri and .
In statements made today by the Government Spokesman of the Republic of Cyprus, Letymiotis initially emphasized that “the first concern is the safety of the citizens. The measures taken were presented, while opinions were exchanged.
The position of the National Council is common, that our country has not participated and will not participate in military operations. They were also informed about the repatriation of our citizens, but also about the requests we receive for providing support for the repatriation of citizens of third countries”.
According to Mr. Letympiotis “the information we had from the United Kingdom is that the Bases will not be used, this was the information we had even after the speech of the Prime Minister. Every effort will be made to express our displeasure both at the manner in which the matter was approached and that the residents of the British Bases were not informed
After the incident we were in consultation with Britain. The message we send throughout is that British bases should not be involved in any way other than a humanitarian role.”
