British military personnel at RAF Akrotiri were forced to “take cover” behind solid furniture as a third security alert in just 48 hours for the strategic Cyprus base.

Staff were warned of an “ongoing security threat” shortly before 8am on Tuesday morning, reports the Cyprus Mail, with troops and their families ordered to return to their homes immediately and stay away from windows.

The high-stakes alert comes after the airfield was successfully struck by a drone in the early hours of Monday, sparking fears of a sustained bombing campaign against the base, which is British sovereign territory.

Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Base authorities issued urgent instructions to personnel to seek shelter under “substantial, solid furniture” as they braced for a potential follow-up strike. However, the immediate danger appeared to pass quickly, with officials standing down the “aerial threat” just 10 minutes later.

While the base has moved to a “reduced air raid warning,” tensions remain high as base authorities “continue to monitor threats”.

It follows a weekend of chaos in which a suspected Iranian-made Shahed-136 drone impacted the runway, causing “minor damage”.

No casualties were reported.

The Ministry of Defence has already begun a precautionary evacuation of around 1,300 non-essential staff and families to nearby hotels and back to the UK, as the base remains on its highest level of force protection.

The surge in threats follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent announcement that the UK would assist the US in neutralising Iranian missile threats.