British police arrest men near US Air Force base over explosives offences
LONDON — British police arrested several men on suspicion of explosives offences on Sunday near an air base which the United States Air Force had been using to facilitate strikes on Iran, reports BritPanorama.
A major incident was declared, with a substantial emergency services presence observed in the vicinity of RAF Fairford, close to the village of Whelford in west England.
“A number of properties are currently being evacuated,” the Gloucestershire Police force stated, following the arrest of the men under the Explosives Act.
“The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles,” the police statement added.
Authorities indicated that they believed the incident to be “contained.”
Security measures at the air base have reportedly been heightened in recent days. A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force confirmed that they would 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 US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,” the spokesperson stated.
“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families,” they added.
Earlier this year, Britain’s then-prime minister Keir Starmer authorized the U.S. to use its bases for “specific and limited defensive” operations against Iran.
In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards cautioned Britain that “any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target,” as reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing flight activity from Fairford.
At that time, a British government spokesperson affirmed that the country was “ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad.”
The situation continues to unfold as authorities manage the potential implications of these developments on regional security.
