UK Police Detain Men, Evacuate Homes Near US Air Base
Authorities are investigating suspected explosives offenses near RAF Fairford, a base utilized by American forces.
Police in western England evacuated homes and detained several men Sunday in connection with suspected explosives offenses near an air base used by the U.S. military. The Gloucestershire Police force stated that residents of "a number of properties" in Whelford were relocated to a nearby leisure center, and that the situation had been contained.
The base in question is RAF Fairford, which American forces have used for limited operations. Following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, the United Kingdom permitted the American military to use Fairford for strikes against Iranian missile sites.
Police have not confirmed whether the arrests are directly linked to the air base. Several men were detained on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, and army bomb-disposal experts were examining several vehicles. A cordon was put in place around the affected area.