Akrotiri again the launchpad for Britain's military involvement in Syria

Britain's contribution to last night's co-ordinated airstrikes in Syria was launched from its military base in Cyprus.

Located on the southern side of the island, RAF Akrotiri has been used by the British military since the 1950s - including in 2015, when David Cameron ordered Typhoons and Tornado jets to be dispatched on a combat mission to Syria and Iraq to defeat Islamic State.

Akrotiri has also served as a transit point for action in Lebanon and Libya.

The base is some 213 miles west of the Syrian city of Homs - a key battleground in the civil war.

It is also used for fast jet training, as well as search and rescue operations in collaboration with the Republic of Cyprus Police and National Guard Air Command.