Key facts
- Several men were arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.
- Gloucestershire Police declared a major incident in the Whelford area.
- Homes were evacuated, and residents are being housed at a leisure center.
- The Army's explosive ordnance disposal team is examining a number of vehicles.
- A cordon is in place, and police believe the incident is contained.
Police in the U.K. have declared a major incident at Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, south-west England, after several men were arrested on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act. The air base hosts the United States Air Force, and is being used by U.S. forces to carry out strikes against Iran. A number of properties have been evacuated in the Whelford area following the incident and a cordon is currently in place. Gloucestershire Police confirmed that the Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles. RAF Fairford has been used to deploy U.S. bombers since Washington, alongside Israel, began operations against Iran on Feb. 28 — prompting protests outside the base. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned the U.K. that any British military base used by the US to launch attacks against Tehran would become a “legitimate target.”