The weapons pod of a military helicopter has reportedly dropped off during what was reported to be a training flight, eventually landing in a residential area in Peyia, Paphos, local media said on Tuesday.

According to video footage, a H145M helicopter, as used by the national guard, was seen flying in the area shortly after the weapons fell.

Defence ministry spokesman Christos Pieris confirmed to the Cyprus News Agency that the empty body had indeed fallen from a National Guard helicopter at around noon, and the incident is now under investigation.

There was no ammunition in it, he stressed.

The pod lying on the street in Peyia

H145M helicopters are used as light attack helicopters. In March, the first two helicopters of this kind were delivered to Cyprus by Airbus.

“The weapons range includes guns, rockets and missiles. Combined with crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities, enabling its integration into networked combat, its bandwidth makes it the most performant helicopter in its class,” Airbus said on its website.

The case is reportedly being investigated by authorities, which are examining the exact circumstances of the incident, clarifying whether it was due to human error or a technical defect of the chopper.