UK police have declared a major security incident at an airbase used by the US military for operations directed at Iran after a suspected cache of explosives was discovered nearby.
A police statement on Sunday said several men had been arrested near RAF Fairford in connection with the operation after the bomb squad was sent to the village of Whelford.
The US military at the base was put on the highest level of alert, as the discovery was being dealt with by the authorities. Evacuations of nearby residents was under way, the statement added.
Explosives Act
Around 30 emergency vehicles, including police cars, ambulances and fire engines, were stationed in the village of Fairford near the base.
“A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident,” Gloucestershire police said in a statement, referring to another nearby village. “The army's specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles.”
Police said they believed the incident had now been contained, after the men had been arrested under the Explosives Act.
A representative for the US Air Force declined to discuss specific force protection measures but said: “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.
“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”
American bombers
Britain said in July its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the UK not to allow American bombers to fly from Fairford.
The UK has suffered mainstream opposition to the operations and an increase in attacks traced to the IRGC in recent months. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said it was “absolutely shocking” Fairford was still being used for US operations.
“The British government's permission to allow the US to use bases like Fairford and Diego Garcia [in Chagos] has helped to prolong this disaster,” CND general secretary Sophie Bolt said. “It is also increasing the risks to the British population, with British bases like RAF Fairford now viewed as a legitimate target.”
British government ministers have also briefed providers of critical infrastructure on the threat posed by Russia, with the government increasingly concerned about possible sabotage operations and cyber attacks. Russia denies mounting hybrid attacks on western nations.
