Cyprus drills hone skills on evacuations from conflict zones

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Seven countries including the U.S., France, Italy, Israel and Greece have taken part in an series of drills in and around Cyprus designed to ease civilian evacuations from conflict zones and to conduct offshore rescue operations, amid a renewed sense of urgency due to the war in Ukraine. For the first time, Egypt took part in the Friday leg of the annual drill with its own military forces, while Saudi Arabia sent a delegation of observers. The exercise culminated in a search and rescue operation with vessels and aircraft,  in what Cypriot officials described as simulating a “serious maritime accident” off the island’s coast.