Suspicious vehicle operation near RAF Fairford Base in England: 5 detained

In a written statement from the Gloucestershire Police, it was stated that some houses in the village of Whelford, adjacent to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford Base, were evacuated due to the declared emergency.

It was reported that bomb disposal teams affiliated with the British army examined some vehicles in the area.

In the statement, it was stated that the evacuees were moved to a gym in the area, the incident was under control, but the area would continue to be under a security cordon.

It was announced that the Dangerous Area Response Team of the British National Health Services (NHS) was assigned to the village adjacent to the base.

On the other hand, the threat level at the base used by the US army was increased to the "Delta" level, which is the highest level. It was seen that heavy tonnage vehicles, construction equipment and tractors were parked side by side at the entrances of the base.

85 houses were evacuated, 5 people were detained

Gloucestershire Police Deputy Chief Richard Ocone held a press conference regarding the latest situation. Stating that they received a report at 00.45 that three suspicious vehicles were heading towards RAF Fairford, Ocone noted that three vehicles were stopped and 5 suspects were detained.

Ocone said that the proceedings against 5 male suspects accused of violating the Explosives Law are continuing and that a 400-meter security cordon was created around the stopped vehicles.

Ocone underlined that 85 houses were evacuated, and those who had nowhere to go were placed in a gym in the area, and the work was carried out by the anti-terrorism police.

Emphasizing that they are working for the evacuated citizens to return to their homes as soon as possible, Ocone called on citizens not to believe speculations and to take official statements into consideration.

US military warplanes have been using Fairford Base since February 28, when Israel and the US launched their attacks on Iran.

While the UK states that this base is used by the USA for defensive purposes, think tanks such as Chatham House and independent analysts also claim that the base is used for offensive purposes.