British police declared a “major incident” near the Royal Air Force Fairford base on Sunday after several men were arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, the Gloucestershire Constabulary said.
Nearby properties in Whelford were evacuated and residents taken to a recreation center as an army explosive ordnance disposal team examined a number of vehicles. Police blocked off the area but said they believed the incident was “contained.”
British authorities have not disclosed how many men were arrested, identified a suspected motive or said that RAF Fairford was the target.
Security at Fairford, which hosts U.S. Air Force personnel, was visibly increased on Sunday, with armed police blocking access and dozens of emergency vehicles in the area. The Daily Mail reported that the base had been placed on Delta alert, the highest U.S. force-protection level, while RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk was put on Charlie alert, the second-highest level.
“The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow U.K.-based wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,” a U.S. Air Force spokesman said. “We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting praised the response. “I would like to thank all those emergency and specialist teams who have acted so swiftly regarding the incident in Gloucestershire,” he wrote on X. “We can be reassured that this is being dealt with, and it is exactly why our emergency response teams and Armed Forces are on standby 24/7.”
Separately, a government spokesman said British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident.
RAF Fairford has been used by the United States for operations against Iran. Britain authorized U.S. forces earlier this year to use British bases for strikes on Iranian missile sites, and American bombers have deployed from Fairford during the conflict.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned in July that Britain would become a “definite and legitimate target” if it supported U.S. military operations against the Islamic Republic. IRGC Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi specifically cited American B-1 bombers using British airbases.
