Major Incident Declared At UK Military Base That Doubles As An FOB For U.S. Forces.

The UK police declared a major incident at a Royal Air Force (RAF) base on Sunday morning, after several men were arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of explosive offences.

The base, located in south-west England, hosts U.S. military personnel and has historically been used as an American forward operating base. It is the USAF's only European airfield for heavy bombers; the facility has been used by U.S. strategic bombers during the Gulf War, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and the Iraq War.

Former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also allowed American aircraft to use RAF Fairford for "defensive purposes" as part of the U.S. war with Iran. U.S. strategic and heavy bombers were deployed to the base in March. Current UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also approved the continued presence of U.S. forces on the base.

U.S. aircraft stationed at Fairford have participated in "defensive missions to destroy Iran's missile capabilities", according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the incident had been "contained" but refrained from commenting further. Residents of the nearby village of Whelford were evacuated, and a bomb disposal robot was seen at the site of the incident, which the UK counter-terrorism police are investigating.

The USAF has also said that its personnel on-site "remain vigilant".

Although it is being discouraged by the UK authorities, speculation about the attackers' motives, and their potential backers, is growing.

"The context for this is troubling. It comes amid a rising number of incidents across Europe of what's termed 'hybrid warfare', allegedly being orchestrated by the Kremlin, or more specifically its GRU military intelligence, as punishment for those countries supporting Ukraine." wrote BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner.

Western intelligence organizations and political leaders, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron, have warned that Russia may increasingly target Ukraine's European allies in the near future.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied these claims, telling reporters on Friday in St Petersburg that Russia was "not preparing for any kind of military conflict with Europe".

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also warned in July that UK bases, including RAF Fairford, used by U.S. forces to strike Iran were legitimate targets. The IRGC also cautioned that countries aiding the U.S. militarily against Iran would be "responsible for the consequences and repercussions".

The involvement of Iran, Russia or any other state or non-state actor has not yet been confirmed.