Major incident near U.S. base in Britain, terrorism suspected

British police have declared a “major incident” near a Royal Air Force base, evacuating nearby communities and arresting several people suspected of explosives-related offences.

“A number of homes were evacuated in the Welford area following a report of a serious incident,” a local police official said, adding that a specialist bomb squad checked a series of cars found nearby.

Meanwhile, a cordon of military personnel was deployed to keep residents away, and authorities said they limited the scale of damage the incident could cause.

The Welford area lies near the Royal Air Force base at Fairford, which also hosts United States Air Force aircraft.

In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the United Kingdom not to allow American aircraft to use British bases, including Fairford.

“Any base used to invade Iranian territory is a legitimate target,” the Guard declared at the time, adding that the United States had begun using B1 bombers to strike Iran, launched from the base in question.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham also reacted to the event, saying he is being kept constantly informed by local authorities but declining to comment or point fingers.

The investigation into the major incident is, according to the BBC, being led by officers from the British police’s counter-terrorism section.