Men Arrested Near U.S. Bomber Base in England as Counterterror Police Take Over Explosives Probe

British counterterrorism police took over an investigation Sunday after several men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses in a village next to RAF Fairford, the Royal Air Force base in southwestern England that American bombers have used to strike Iran.

Gloucestershire Police said they had declared a major incident and evacuated "a number of properties" in the Whelford area after arresting "several men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act." A bomb disposal team was on site examining vehicles, and officers set up a cordon. Police described the situation as "contained." They did not tell the Associated Press whether the arrests were connected to the air base.

Residents described a tense night. Julian Tubsbery, who was evacuated from his home in the early hours of Sunday, told the BBC that "there were these three vans that arrived in the middle of the village and a resident reported them to the police straight away." Helicopter footage broadcast by BBC News showed a wheeled robot working near three parked white vans close to the base. Police have not confirmed which vehicles were being examined or whether they were linked to the arrests.

Fairford has become a politically sensitive site since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28. The British government allowed the American military to use the base for what officials described as strictly limited strikes against Iranian missile sites. An eyewitness quoted by Reuters said security around the base had been stepped up significantly in recent days, with more roadblocks and armed police preventing access.

A U.S. Air Force spokesperson said personnel at RAF Fairford "remain vigilant" but declined to discuss specific force protection steps for security reasons. "We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families," the spokesperson said. U.S. European Command said it would "take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families across the European theater."

A spokesperson for the British government thanked emergency services for acting quickly and said it would be "inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing." Police have not said how many men were detained, what they are suspected of planning, or whether any explosive device was found.

The arrests come as European governments warn of rising sabotage and security threats on their soil tied to wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Germany this month accused Russia of orchestrating an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport. The incident at Fairford is likely to draw fresh attention to the risks Britain took on when it allowed U.S. forces to launch strikes on Iran from English soil.