UK police evacuate homes and make arrests near air base used by US forces

British police evacuated homes on Sunday near the air base of Fairford in southwest England, which is used by United States air forces, after arresting several men on suspicion of offences related to explosives.

Fairford, located in Gloucestershire, has previously been used by the United States to launch operations, including against Iran, making it a base of strategic significance within the broader US military presence in the United Kingdom.

Security operation prompts evacuations

Local residents near the base were evacuated as police carried out their operation, though authorities did not immediately detail the total number of properties affected or the specific nature of the suspected offences beyond describing them as related to explosives.

The incident has drawn attention given Fairford's role in hosting American air operations, and further details of the investigation, including the identities and status of those arrested, had not been disclosed at the time of reporting.

Police have not indicated whether the incident is being treated as connected to any wider security threat, and residents were expected to be updated as the situation developed.