NICOSIA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A suspected aerial object was detected approaching Cyprus on Wednesday morning, triggering an air security alert before being intercepted by two Greek fighter jets.
The alert was triggered at around 9:30 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) and lasted for about 30 minutes. Two Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jets took off from an air base in western Cyprus and intercepted the object before it entered Cypriot airspace.
Cyprus government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a post on X that a suspected object had been detected in the airspace near Lebanon. For precautionary reasons, the competent authorities had taken all necessary measures to investigate and, if necessary, handle the situation.
As a precaution, staff members at the U.S. Embassy were moved to a basement area, according to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. ■