British police have arrested five men near a US airbase in the UK used to strike Iran on suspicion of explosive and “terrorism” offences.
British counterterrorism police took the lead in an investigation on Sunday into five men arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.
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Police received a call at around 12:45am GMT on Sunday about “three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the air base”, prompting officers to arrest the five men, Gloucestershire Police said in a statement.
“A 400m cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conduct examinations”, Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator, said in the statement. “As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place.”
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone added that “the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time”, while he called on people “not to speculate but to follow official channels for updates”.
The town is located near Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire, an airbase that United States forces have used for strikes during the US-Israel war on Iran.
Britain’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident.
“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” the defence secretary said.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, his office has said.
There was no immediate information about what prompted the five arrests, whether explosives were found, or if the suspected offences were connected to the airbase.
The US Air Force said it was aware of reports about the incident, but declined to discuss specific security measures.
A spokesperson said the 501st Combat Support Wing, a US Air Force unit in Britain, and other US units based in the United Kingdom remained vigilant and would take steps needed to protect personnel and their families.
In March, three US B-1B Lancer bombers touched down at RAF Fairford after what is believed to be the first US strike mission against Iran launched from a British base, during the war on Iran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military force that operates alongside the country’s regular armed forces, warned in July that bases used to launch attacks on Iran could be treated as legitimate targets.
Authorities have not linked Sunday’s arrests to Iran or said RAF Fairford was a target.
