BALADI NEWS
A stray missile has exploded in midair over villages in northern Cyprus, thought to have been fired by Syrian forces in response to the Israeli attack.
Authorities in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus said the missile sparked blazes in surrounding hills after its remnants landed early on Monday, barely 12 miles north-east of Nicosia, the capital.
There were reports the explosion could be heard on either side of the island’s divided and densely populated capital. Residents in the area reported seeing a light in the sky before hearing three loud blasts. Some homes were evacuated in the foothills of the mountain range.
No one was hurt in the freak incident. But hours, after the projectile struck the area at about 1, am local time (2300 BST) debris was still being discovered in Turkish Cypriot villages.
One resident who uploaded a picture on social media of a part of the suspected missile found in the village of Kornokypos – following the earlier discovery of two other parts in two other villages – described it as a “Russian rocket”, the Cyprus Mail reported.
A Greek Cypriot military analyst, Andreas Pentaras, said markings suggested it was a Russian-made S-200 surface-to-air missile, which can have a range of up to 250 miles (400km). Jamming technology could have diverted the missile, believed to have been fired from an air defence system in Syria in response to an attack by Israel.
Source: The Guardian