British counterterrorism police are investigating a "serious incident" near an air base used by the US military

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, British police have detained several individuals suspected of carrying explosives near an airbase. By, BBC News Mundo editorial staff Reporting by, BBC News Mundo Published 14 minutes ago Reading time: 3 min British counter-terrorism police declared a "serious incident" this Sunday after several men were detained on suspicion of explosives-related offenses near a base of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF), which is also used by the US military in its operations against Iran. The arrests took place near Fairford airbase, about 120 kilometers northwest of London. Following the arrests, bomb disposal teams were deployed to the nearby village of Whelford, where several residents had to be evacuated. The authorities did not disclose the identities of those detained or the circumstances of their capture. "It would not be appropriate to comment further while the investigation remains ongoing," a government spokesperson said. However, the government maintains that the situation is "under control." "We can rest assured knowing the situation is being managed. That is precisely why our emergency response teams and our Armed Forces are on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week," wrote UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting on X. Nevertheless, the US Department of Defense said it raised the alert level to "Charlie" at Lakenheath airbase, located about 230 kilometers from where the events occurred and where US military personnel also operate. What does a Charlie alert mean? That "an incident has occurred or intelligence has been received indicating that some form of terrorist action against personnel or facilities is likely," explained US military authorities. Skip Most read and continue reading Most read End of Most read Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Fairford base has been used by the US to launch its attacks against Iran. One of the evacuated residents told the BBC that he learned of the incident after seeing "some messages in the village group" last night. The man, who only identified himself as Jason, explained that he heard a helicopter, but went to bed as usual before police officers knocked on his door to evacuate him. "Everything happened very quickly" "Everything happened very quickly. We just grabbed our things and came here," he said from the sports center where he was waiting to be allowed to return to his home. Meanwhile, Julian Tudsbery, another evacuated resident, said it all began after "three suspicious vans" appeared in the area. "These three vans arrived in the center of the village and a neighbor immediately reported them to the police," he recounted. According to the London newspaper The Guardian, the police operation was not based on intelligence services information, suggesting that investigators had no prior knowledge of any possible plot against the base. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Numerous police officers, firefighters and paramedics were deployed around the Fairford base. What is in Fairford The Fairford base has been used by the US military for decades. During the Cold War, its facilities housed the US Air Force's Strategic Air Command and later played a key role in the first Gulf War in 1991. Also during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Washington deployed its B-52 strategic bombers there, recalled BBC reporter Sammy Jenkins. And in March, then British Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the US to use the base so that its aircraft could launch attacks against Iranian missile facilities. Since then, aircraft such as B-52 and B-1B bombers have taken off from the installation loaded with powerful bombs capable of destroying bunkers and underground facilities. In recent months, the Fairford base has been the scene of public protests against the British government's decision to allow the US to use it as an operations center for its attacks against the forces of the ayatollahs' regime. Download the new BBC World Service app. Choose BBC News Mundo and receive news alerts, documentaries and analysis, all in one place. Important: the new app is not available in the UK or the US. You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook and on our WhatsApp channel. And don't forget to subscribe here to our newsletter to receive a special selection of our best content every Friday. Discover more Skip Video and continue Video End of Video