RAF Tornado planes withdrawn from British Akrotiri Air Base in Cyprus
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E-mail Xinhua, February 7, 2019
The Royal Air Force's (RAF) Tornado GR4 planes have been withdrawn from the British Akrotiri Air Base in Cyprus and returned to Britain, a statement by the commander of the Tornado squadron said on Wednesday.
The Tornado fighter-bombers were used by the British during the 1990-1991 first Gulf War for low-level bombing missions in Iraq, where six of the planes were lost, and more recently for sorties against Islamic State Positions in Syria.
The last air strikes in Syria were carried out on Tuesday by two Tornados which then returned at their Norfolk base in Britain.
Akrotiri base authorities did not say what aircraft replaced the Tornados which are being retired after being in operation since 1979.
Acrotiri Air Base next to the port of the southern city of Limassol, is one of two sovereign base areas Britain retained on Cyprus after granting independence to the eastern Mediterranean island in 1960.
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