Newsroom
Two Greek F-16 fighter jets intercepted a drone before it entered Cypriot airspace, government sources said Wednesday, in the latest sign of how rising regional tensions are increasingly affecting the island.
The interception came shortly after authorities temporarily closed airspace over Larnaca Airport when an unidentified object was detected near Lebanese airspace. Officials said the drone was stopped before posing any risk to Cyprus, though the incident highlighted growing security concerns.
As part of heightened precautions, the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia went on temporary lockdown around 9 a.m., according to local sources. No injuries or direct threats were reported, and embassy operations later resumed normally.
Civilian aviation was also affected. An Aegean Airlines flight bound for Larnaca was forced to turn back to Athens during the incident, underscoring how quickly regional developments can impact travel. Airspace restrictions were later lifted, allowing flights to resume.
