U.K. counter-terrorism force investigating ‘major incident’ near base used by U.S. Air Force

British counter-terrorism police Sunday were reportedly probing a major incident near a base used by the U.S. air force after several men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences.

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Villagers were evacuated and army bomb disposal experts were “currently examining a number of vehicles,” police in the southwestern county of Gloucestershire said in a statement.

Several U.K. media outlets, including the BBC and Sky News, reported that the counter-terrorism force was leading the investigation into the incident near RAF Fairford, but that was not immediately confirmed to AFP.

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A cordon is in place and officers believed the incident had been “contained.”

In March, then prime minister Keir Starmer granted permission for “defensive” U.S. action against Iranian missile sites from two U.K. bases, including Fairford.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident, a government spokesperson said.

“We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe,” the spokesperson said.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing.”

Defence Minister Wes Streeting thanked “emergency and specialist teams” deployed to the scene.

“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” he said on X.

Media reported a large emergency services presence in the area, including a Hazardous Area Response Team.

“A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident,” Gloucestershire Police said.

Several men had been arrested “on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act,” the force added.

Villagers evacuated

Residents from the nearby village of Whelford had been evacuated to a nearby leisure centre, the BBC said.

The village of Whelford is located adjacent to the Royal Air Force Fairford base, which is also used by the United States Air Force.

Fairford is the U.K. base of the 501st Combat Support Wing, a U.S. Air Force administrative support wing.

It said in a statement that no U.S. Air Force personnel had been involved in the incident.

“The 501st Combat Support Wing appreciates the swift response and continued support of our local law enforcement partners,” it said.

“We remain in close coordination with our U.K. partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities,” it added.

The MP for the area, Roz Savage, described the situation as “worrying.”

“I have contacted the police for further updates and I’ve been told that it is believed the incident is contained,” she said on X.

The incident comes amid concerns about the actions of hostile foreign states.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood has accused Iran and Russia of using proxies to carry out criminal activities on their behalf on U.K. territory.

Earlier this month, reports said British military sites were targeted by drones more than 300 times over the past year.

Britain’s defence ministry did not disclose who was behind the drone activity, but the figures come as European countries warned of an increase in suspected Russian hybrid operations on their territory.

U.K. armed forces minister Louise Sandher-Jones told AFP in a statement that the government was “taking the threat posed by hostile drones to defence sites extremely seriously.”

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