Britain authorized the U.S. to use the base for “defensive” strikes on Iran earlier this year.
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 Whelford, a village near RAF Fairford, following the incident. A cordon is currently in place.
Gloucestershire Police confirmed that the Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are examining a number of vehicles.
A U.K. government spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is being kept updated on the incident in Gloucestershire. 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. It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing.”
A US Air Force spokesperson said: “We are aware of the current reporting. For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.
“The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-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.
“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”
Britain authorized the U.S. to use RAF Fairford for “defensive” strikes on Iran earlier this year, with America deploying bombers including B-1 and B-52s from the site.
In July, Iran’s 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.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.