LONDON — British police evacuated homes and arrested several men suspected of explosives offenses Sunday near an air base the U.S. Air Force was using to facilitate strikes against Iran.
A major incident has been declared, with a massive emergency services presence around RAF Fairford, located around 90 minutes from London, near the village of Whelford in the west of England.
“A number of properties are currently being evacuated,” Gloucestershire Police said in a statement, following the arrest of “several men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act”. He did not provide further details about the men arrested or what they were suspected of doing.
“The Army’s Specialized Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team is currently examining a number of vehicles,” the statement continued, adding that the incident had been “controlled.” Police have not confirmed any connection between the incident and the base.
Helicopter footage from NBC News international partner Sky News showed several white vans near the base apparently being searched by a bomb disposal robot.
Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, told Britain’s Press Association that a resident had reported three “suspicious vans” in the village in the early hours of Sunday morning. Along with other residents, Tudsbery has since been evacuated to a nearby leisure center.
The Reuters news agency had reported that security measures at the airbase had been significantly increased in recent days. A U.S. Air Force spokesperson told the agency it would not discuss specific force protection measures.
“The 501st Combat Support Wing and our UK-based colleagues remain vigilant and will take appropriate action to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors and their families,” the spokesperson said, ahead of the police statement.
“We constantly evaluate a variety of factors that determine the measures we institute or modify to protect our facilities, our employees and their families,” they added.
The British government said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was informed of the incident, adding “it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.”
In March this year, Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer authorized the US to use its bases for “specific and limited” defensive operations against Iran.
In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Britain that “any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing bomber flights from Fairford.
At the time, a British government spokesperson said the country was “prepared to protect the United Kingdom from any form of attack, whether at home or from abroad.”
Roz Savage, the local MP, thanked police for their response to the “disturbing scenes just outside RAF Fairford”, while UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in a message on
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