Explosives found near UK air base prompting arrests and evacuations

Counter-terrorism police in the UK are leading an investigation after arresting several men on suspicion of explosives offences near the RAF Fairford air base in southwest England. The facility is used by the United States. Following the arrests, a bomb disposal squad was called in to check several vehicles. Gloucestershire police evacuated residents from multiple properties in the nearby village of Whelford and moved them to a local leisure centre. Authorities declared a major incident, sending a bomb squad to Whelford with extra security measures and setting up road blocks over the weekend. Entrances to the base were also fortified. Nearly 30 emergency vehicles, including ambulances, fire engines, and police cars, parked in Fairford village near the base while a helicopter flew overhead. The British government stated that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving updates on the situation. A government spokesperson thanked the emergency services for acting quickly to detain suspects and secure the community. Defence Minister Wes Streeting also posted on social media to thank the emergency and specialist teams deployed to the scene. The UK administration previously allowed the US to use the RAF Fairford base to attack Iranian missile sites that were hitting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened that any base used to strike the Islamic Republic would become a target.