UK Prime Minister Teresa May is paying a brief visit to the British Sovereign Base in Akrotiri, on Cyprus’ southern coast, where she addressed approximately 200 soldiers serving in the SBA.

May commended their role in the fight against the Islamic State and the important role which the British Bases in Cyprus play in combating terrorism.

She also visited the kindergarten operating at the Base and talked to the children.

The UK has retained two sovereign military bases in Cyprus, one in Akrotiri and one in Dhekelia, since it granted Cyprus its independence in 1960, following a four-year anti-colonial liberation struggle.