A suspected stray missile crashed north of the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, early on Monday, but no one was hurt, Turkish Cypriot officials said.
The explosion occurred around 1 a.m. local time in the region of Tashkent, also known as Vouno, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Nicosia, with the impact setting hills ablaze and heard for miles around.
Mustafa Akinci, the Turkish Cypriot leader, linked the incident to military operations in the Middle East but further investigations were under way by the military to establish what it was, he said.