By Mehmet Kemal Firik
LEFKOSA (AA) – British amphibious assault ships have docked off the coast of Southern Cyprus, with over 1,000 commandos positioned at the UK's military base airport in Akrotiri, as the number of foreign military forces increases amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, according to local media.
According to a news article published on Sunday by Southern Cyprus' Havargi newspaper titled "The density of foreign military forces in Cyprus is increasing," more than 1,000 commandos were kept ready at Akrotiri airport inside the UK's sovereign base.
It said more than one British amphibious assault ship arrived off the coast of Southern Cyprus. However, no additional information was provided about their exact number.
Some local broadcasters have also confirmed the report, citing military sources.
On Friday, the USS Wasp, a US Navy amphibious assault ship, docked at the Limassol Port in Southern Cyprus.
While opposition parties and some activists protested the US warship's arrival at port as part of the "port visits," administration spokesperson Konstantinos Letimbiotis claimed that the recent ship and aircraft movements are part of the island's humanitarian role in light of developments in the region.
According to press reports that appeared in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), an unidentified submarine was spotted by a kayaker off the coast of Limassol.
Following Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, as well as Israel's tensions with Iran and Lebanon, the media has criticized the US and several European countries' military buildup in Southern Cyprus, particularly AKEL – the main opposition party in the administration.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced that the US will deploy additional military assets to the Middle East ahead of possible Iranian retaliation after the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, which Tehran blamed on Israel although Tel Aviv did not openly admit it or denied responsibility.
Tensions are running high in the Middle East following the July 31 assassination of Haniyeh in Iran's capital Tehran and Israel's assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on July 30.
Iran vowed "harsh punishment" for Israel for Haniyeh’s killing on Iranian soil.
Hezbollah is also expected to retaliate after Israel assassinated Shukr.
Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
The Israeli onslaught has since killed nearly 39,800 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,000 others, according to local health authorities.
More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Merve Berker