LONDON – UK counterterrorism police have arrested several men and evacuated and cordoned off homes in a village near the U.S. Air Force bomber base of RAF Fairford, in a major security operation.
Security levels at the airbase, where a dozen USAF Rockwell B-1B bombers are currently based in support of U.S. military operations in Iran, were ramped up ahead of the operation, which took place overnight on Sept. 26-27.
Gloucestershire Police said several properties in Whelford, a village on the northeastern perimeter of the base, were evacuated as Army explosive disposal teams were called in to examine several vehicles. The authorities said an undisclosed number of men had been arrested on suspicion of offenses under the UK Explosives Act.
Police did not identify the nationality of those arrested.
Officials said they believed the incident has now been contained.
The operation comes after several threats were made by Iran's Revolutionary Guard against both the base and the personnel based there.
B-1Bs are currently based at the airfield to perform long-range strike missions in Iran. As part of the joint Israeli/U.S. strikes on Iran, the air force had also housed several Boeing B-52s at the airfield, but these were returned to the U.S. earlier in the summer.
Around 12 B-1Bs remain stationed at Fairford for contingency should tensions in the Middle East flare up again.
The presence of the bombers caused the annual Royal International Air Tattoo airshow, planned for July, to be canceled because of the uncertainty of airfield access.
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