LONDON – British police on Sunday arrested several men on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses and evacuated homes near an air base that the U.S. Air Force had been using to facilitate attacks on Iran. A major incident was declared, with a massive emergency presence seen around RAF Fairford, which is about 90 minutes from London, near the village of Whelford in the west of England. Gloucestershire Police said they responded in the early hours of Sunday to reports of three suspicious vehicles moving towards the base, and arrested five men “on suspicion of having committed offenses under the Explosives Act”. They were later arrested again on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police did not provide further details about the men, who remain in custody, or what they were suspected of having done. “Work is underway to establish the full nature of this incident,” said Deputy Police Chief Richard Ocone. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans of Counter Terrorism Policing said the force is “working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident”, and the investigation is still in its “early stages”. Ocone said 85 homes in the local area were evacuated and a 440-yard cordon was established while an Army artillery disposal team examines vehicles. News reports showed several white vans near the base apparently being searched by a bomb disposal robot. Roadblocks were set up as police declared a serious incident and evacuated residents from their homes in Whelford, a village about 1 mile from RAF Fairford. David Bown/Getty Images Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, told Britain’s Press Association that another resident had reported three suspicious vans in the village. Tudsbery, along with other residents, has since been evacuated to a nearby recreation center. The Reuters news agency had reported that security measures at the air base have been significantly increased in recent days. We constantly assess a range of factors that determine what measures we put in place or modify to protect our facilities, our people and their families.” Police set up a base at Fairford Youth Football Club near RAF Fairford. Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images The British government said Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being briefed on the incident, adding that “it would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are underway.” “defensive operations” against Iran. In July, the Revolutionary Guard Corps Iran’s Islamic Republic warned Britain that “any base used to invade Iranian territory is our legitimate target,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing bomber aircraft flights from Fairford. At the time, a British government spokesman said the country was “ready to keep the UK safe from any kind of attack, whether on our soil or from abroad.” Fairford,” while British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said in a post on
