False alarm sparked chaos yesterday in Limassol

By Yiannis Souliotis

After a drone strike on the British base at Akrotiri just past midnight on Sunday and the dangerous escalation of the war the U.S. and Israel launched in Iran on Saturday, Cypriot authorities have been on high alert. A tip about a suspicious object in Lebanese airspace set off a chain reaction yesterday morning.

A foreign official reported to Cypriot authorities that an unmanned aircraft was heading from Beirut toward Cyprus. The source was initially deemed reliable, and two of the four Greek F-16 fighter jets on readiness duty were scrambled to intercept the suspected drone.

The roar of the jets over Limassol sparked alarm among residents of the coastal city. Cyprus does not have its own combat air force, and the sudden appearance of F-16s overhead understandably caused panic.

“We were at school and got scared. Our teachers tell us that in an attack we should crouch and cover our heads with our hands,” said a young student yesterday afternoon, walking along the Limassol promenade with her mother and two siblings. Her British mother added, “We moved to Cyprus because we thought it was the safest place to live. That was our belief… until Sunday night.”

As we spoke with them, two Greek frigates, Psara and Kimon, were visible on the horizon alongside cargo ships anchored off Limassol. The older Psara had just refueled at the port and headed out on patrol, while the newer Kimon awaited tug assistance to dock for resupply. On the pier, local residents, mostly elderly, watched alongside TV crews.

Seeing the warships, many expressed relief, even pride. “Why?” we asked. “We were worried after recent events, but now we feel reassured because Greece is helping. We are not alone,” said one. Another added, “We wanted to go to Greece to see the Kimon, but fate brought it here instead. We feel proud.”