Cyprus military upgrades guard post near buffer zone

Authorities in the breakaway north of ethnically divided Cyprus said Monday they are upgrading a military guard post in a sensitive area near the U.N.-controlled buffer zone.

Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas said after a cabinet meeting that he was monitoring construction work by Turkish Cypriot forces at the guard post in Kaimakli, describing such activities as "routine."

Confirming the developments, the Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry stated that the work was taking place within the Turkish-administered region.

"For us at the Ministry of Defense, these situations are part of our daily routine; there is constant activity around these sensitive areas," Palmas said, adding that his ministry is closely and responsibly monitoring the situation.

"The guards are well informed, and I want to emphasize that we are approaching the situation with utmost seriousness," he concluded, "carefully observing all developments in these sensitive areas."

The upgrade comes amid ongoing tensions over the divided island's decades-old conflict, which remains a key obstacle to reunification efforts.