RAF Akrotiri

Pro-Palestinian activists protested at the gates of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Sunday, angry that the British base was used as a launch pad for strikes against the Houthi militia in Yemen.

Although Cyprus is not a NATO member, the presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's staff members in their national capacity is increasing as the island takes center stage in the evacuation operations of US and other Western civilians from Israel and Lebanon.

Six F35-B Lightning warplanes, the UK's newest fighter, arrived Tuesday at a British air base on Cyprus for training and a systems test in the aircraft's first overseas deployment.

All RAF Tornado GR4s that were based in Cyprus and took part in operations against the Islamic State have left Cyprus to return home in the UK.

According to media reports, all eight GR4 fighter jets flew out of Cyprus earlier this week, with the first five departing on Monday and three more that left on Tuesday.

Cyprus has nothing to fear from possible military strikes against Syria, according to the government spokesman who also said Nicosia is "in no way involved with the operations."

Tornado bombers at RAF Akrotiri are on standby and ready to strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if such an order is given out, just days after a US missile destroyer left Larnaca port.

Britain's top defense official said Friday that the country's two military bases on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus are "more important than ever" in light of the turmoil gripping nearby Syria.

British Prime Minister David met French President Francois Hollande today in Paris to discuss about the actions to take against ISIS following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.

Mr. Cameron said that he had offered France the use of a British airbase in Cyprus for air strikes on ISIS targets.

Two missiles fell from a warplane at a British base in southern Cyprus on July 15 as the aircraft returned from a military operation, without causing casualties, base officials said.