British authorities declare major incident, evacuate town near US air base

British authorities evacuated buildings and deployed military bomb disposal teams over a "major incident" in the town of Whelford on Sunday morning.

The town is located near the Fairford air base, which is used by the US military. Around 30 emergency vehicles were seen in the area, including police cars, ambulances, and fire engines.

Police said the bomb disposal units were "currently examining a number of vehicles" in Whelford. Residents of multiple properties in the village have been taken to a nearby leisure center.

"A cordon is currently in place but we'd like to reassure people that we believe this incident is contained," British police said.

Police also said several men were "arrested on suspicion of offences the Explosives Act" but would not confirm the arrests were connected to the incident near the base.

Officials stay tight-lipped

A spokesperson for the US Air Force refused to discuss specific steps when contacted by the Reuters news agency, saying only that both US and British forces "remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families."

The background for the incident was not immediately clear.

The UK has allowed the US to use Fairford for its war against Iran, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards warning UK officials against the move this summer. The evacuations also come at a time of heightened tensions in Northern Ireland, and less than two months after Germany discovered an explosive-laden drone at the Leipzig airport, which its authorities attributed to Russia.