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Cyprus was hit by a huge explosion last night after a Russian-made missile apparently strayed off course from Syria. 

The missile, believed to be a Syrian anti-aircraft weapon, exploded in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus in the early hours of this morning, causing a huge mountainside blaze. 

Initial investigations suggested the missile was an S-200 model made in Russia - a key ally of Syria and its leader Bashar al-Assad - and could have been knocked off course by jamming technology. 

Syrian forces had been using the missiles to fend off Israeli warplane attacks last night, but one of them appears to have missed its target and come down 200 miles away in Cyprus.