Drone reportedly strikes UK air force base in Cyprus after 'security alert'

A small drone has reportedly struck an RAF base on Cyprus late on Sunday evening (March 1).

Reports suggest the incident has taken place at Akrotiri, one of two UK Sovereign Base areas on the Mediterranean island, at around 10.30pm.

Some witnesses described an 'explosion' during the incident, which came just after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the US could use British bases to launch attacks on Iran, as Israel and America continue to target the country.

No one is reported to have been hurt. It is unclear if the drone had hit the base directly or after it had been shot down.

The Cyprus Mail, a newspaper on the island, is reporting personnel at the two sovereign bases, which also includes Dhekelia, received a 'security alert' - and that personnel were told a 'small drone' had struck the site.

The newspaper reports that workers on the bases were told to return to their homes and stay inside.

It is unconfirmed whether Iran, which has fired rockets and drones at a number of neighbouring countries in retaliation for the Israeli-US attack which has killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei and many other senior officials, is involved in the incident at Akrotiri.

However it has struck at a number of other bases being used by the US, including in Bahrain and Qatar.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer ruled out the UK joining the strikes against Iran, saying the country had learned its lessons from the Iraq war.

Britain has also been involved in preventing Iran hitting targets elsewhere in the Gulf, with an RAF Typhoon destroying an Iranian drone that was heading for Qatari airspace.

Iran has launched strikes against a number of countries around the Gulf, as well as Israel itself, with all flights cancelled to many and the British government working to support hundreds of thousands of citizens in the affected countries.