Church in Akrotiri, Cyprus busy for Sunday liturgy, a week after attack at nearby British base

Описание: (8 Mar 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Akrotiri, Cyprus - 8 March 2026
1. Wide of the Timios Stavros church in Akrotiri, Cyprus
2. Various of liturgy ceremony and faithful
3. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Michalis Konstantinou, local resident:
"I didn’t leave the village (Akrotiri) at all. I’m not afraid of anyone. Why should I leave? Because I believe that Akrotiri is the most protected place, Akrotiri is very heavily secured. There is a lot of activity at sea with airplanes, missile batteries, and ships. I don’t think anything could get through and come back to Akrotiri. Right now, I’m a little afraid of terrorism. I’m not afraid of missiles (but of) terrorism."
4. Various of church and faithful during liturgy
5. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Pantelitsa Christou, local resident:
"It's calm now, calm. I left for two days. I went to my son in Ipsonas (village ), now I'm back home, everything is fine. I’m waiting for things to get better so we can stay in our home...how should I know?"
6. Various of faithful during liturgy
7. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Yiorgos Konstantinou, deputy mayor, greater Akrotiri region:
"This (the atttack) was something that had never happened before. An explosion was heard on Sunday night. People panicked, temporarily the community was evacuated. On the first day, almost everyone left. Only about 30 people left, the second one, many people came back, the third even more. Now, 80 percent have returned."
8. Various of faithful during liturgy
9. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Yiorgos Konstantinou, deputy mayor, greater Akrotiri region:
"Today you saw the church full. People came to make their offerings and to hold memorial services for their loved ones. Life goes on. Soon, I hope we will return to normality."
10. Various of faithful after liturgy
STORYLINE:
Akrotiri residents filled the church of Tiumios Stavros for the Sunday liturgy, a week after an attack on the nearby British base.

After the church service, some said they felt safer now.

"It's calm now, calm. I left for two days. I went to my son in Ipsonas (village ), now I'm back home, everything is fine," said local Pantelitsa Christou.

The deputy mayor said 80 percent of locals had now returned to the town.

"Today you saw the church full. People came to make their offerings and to hold memorial services for their loved ones. Life goes on," said Yiorgos Konstantinou, deputy mayor of the greater Akrotiri region

The drone strike on RAF Akrotiri came shortly after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he consented to the use of British bases by U.S. forces for "defensive" operations in Iran.

Starmer later said that RAF Akrotiri is not among those bases used by the United States.

AP video by Lefteris Pitrakis

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