Eighty five households were evacuated from a village in southwestern England on Sunday after police responded to suspicious vehicles near an air base used by the US military for operations involving Iran. Five men were arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act as bomb disposal officers moved into the area.
Residents of Whelford, a small village about 1.6 kilometres from Royal Air Force Fairford, were ordered from their homes in the early hours of Sunday after authorities received reports of suspicious vehicles close to the base.
Police have not disclosed what triggered the suspected terrorist activity or whether the incident was directly connected to the military operations being conducted from Fairford. Officers have also not identified the five men arrested in connection with the investigation.
A police cordon remained in place around the affected area as specialist teams examined several vehicles. Aerial television footage showed a bomb disposal robot operating around vans near the village.
The incident brought an unusual level of police activity to a quiet part of the Cotswolds, where residents are accustomed to the air base but rarely see it associated with an immediate security threat.
Residents evacuated in the early hours
Stephanie, a Whelford resident who asked that her surname not be published, was among those forced to leave her home.
She travelled to a leisure centre in nearby Cirencester with her puppy and two cats after authorities evacuated the village. She said the seriousness of the situation had only begun to sink in after she had reached safety.
"I'm absolutely exhausted," Stephanie told AFP. She said the danger had "not quite hit me till now".
Whelford is a small community surrounded by the countryside of Gloucestershire. For residents, the sudden evacuation was a sharp departure from normal life.
"It's quite a lovely, small village. It's a real shame," Stephanie said.
The evacuation followed a report from a local resident who told British media that she had contacted emergency services after seeing three vans blocking a road near the village. She also reported seeing several men wearing hoods and balaclavas.
Police responded by establishing a cordon and bringing in specialist officers to assess the vehicles.
The authorities have not said whether the vans contained explosives or other dangerous material. They have also not confirmed whether the people reported by the resident were the same individuals later arrested.
Air base has become more significant
The security operation comes at a time when RAF Fairford has taken on a higher profile because of US military activity involving Iran.
In March, Britain authorised the United States to use the air base for what the government described as "specific defensive operations into Iran" aimed at destroying Iranian missiles.
Since then, residents have seen US bombers and other military aircraft arriving at and departing from the Gloucestershire airfield.
The increased military presence has changed the atmosphere around a base that is usually relatively quiet outside major events.
Fairford has a long history of supporting US military operations. American aircraft have used the base during previous conflicts, including the Gulf War and the 2003 Iraq War.
Its location in the English countryside can make that history feel distant to local residents. The recent use of the airfield, however, has brought international military developments much closer to the surrounding communities.
Local councillor Tristan Wilkinson said the difference had been noticeable in recent months.
"Normally, RAF Fairford is very quiet but at the moment, with Epic Fury, that's changed," Wilkinson told AFP, referring to the US military codename for its attacks on Iran.
He said local authorities and residents had maintained greater vigilance around the airfield because of the increased activity.
"The local community and the authorities have had greater vigilance around the base," Wilkinson said.
'Quite worrying' for nearby residents
The air base has generally been regarded by residents as a familiar part of the local area rather than a daily source of disruption.
A dog walker in Cirencester, who declined to give his name, said his wife had already been concerned about the possibility of threats against Fairford.
When she heard about Sunday's incident, he said, it felt as though her fears had become real.
The man said living near the airfield was normally uneventful.
"It's no trouble at all," he said. "But actually using it as a bomber base is a bit worrying."
RAF Fairford also hosts a major annual airshow, attracting visitors from Britain and abroad. Outside such events and periods of increased military activity, the base does not usually dominate daily life in the surrounding communities.
That changed after the latest security alert.
George Currie, a 20 year old university student from Cirencester, said people in nearby communities were likely to feel unsettled by the incident.
"I'm sure all the residents of Fairford are quite spooked and jumped about it," Currie said.
He added that the importance of the air base had made the situation more concerning for anyone living close to it.
"With how important Fairford has been with the air base, I'd be quite scared to live there at the moment," he said.
Investigation continues
The arrests were made under suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, but police have not publicly established a motive.
The distinction is significant because an arrest on suspicion does not mean the individuals have been charged or found guilty. Investigators will need to establish what the men were doing, why they were near the base and whether they posed a specific threat.
Authorities have also not confirmed whether the incident involved a foreign government or an organised extremist group.
The British government has previously accused Iran and Russia of using proxies to conduct criminal activities in the United Kingdom. Those warnings have added to concerns about security around sites linked to military operations and defence infrastructure.
However, there is currently no public confirmation that Sunday's incident was connected to either country.
For residents, the uncertainty has been difficult to separate from the wider international conflict.
Victor Compton, a 21 year old university student, said the incident showed how events far from Britain can affect communities that might otherwise feel removed from international conflicts.
"With everything that's been going on, with the activity around the air base, something like that is bound to happen," Compton said.
"The effects of war reach into the safest parts of the world," he added, describing the incident as "a bit of a reality check".
For Whelford residents, that reality began with an early morning evacuation, a police cordon and a night away from home. As specialist officers continued examining the area, the central question remained whether the suspicious vehicles represented a direct threat to RAF Fairford or something unrelated to the base.
Police are expected to provide further information as the investigation develops, while residents wait to learn when they can safely return home.
How should communities living near military bases prepare when international conflicts raise local security concerns?