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FAIRFORD: British police arrested five men near a US air base on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences on Sunday after \u200ba tip-off that three vans had been heading to the military airfield which has been used to strike Iran.<\/strong><\/p>\n Counter \u200cterrorism detectives leading the investigation said police had received a call about three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards RAF Fairford in the west of England in the early hours of Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n Five men were arrested by armed officers and later held on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Police said they believed \u200bthe incident was now contained.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,\u201d Counter Terrorism \u200bPolicing Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs you would expect we are working closely with \u2060our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Police said a 400-metre cordon was in place around the base as the bomb disposal \u200bunit investigated the vans. Local residents were evacuated and armed officers were patrolling the site.<\/span><\/p>\n The British government, which has given authorisation to the \u200bUS to use bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being updated on the incident.<\/span><\/p>\n Britain said in July its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards warned it not to \u200ballow US bombers to fly from Fairford, saying any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.<\/span><\/p>\n Police have not said who \u200bthey believed was involved in Sunday\u2019s incident, in which residents of a nearby village were woken in the early hours and 85 homes evacuated.<\/span><\/p>\n The base was \u200cblocked by \u2060armed police while large machinery also prevented access and Reuters witnesses said security had been increased at other bases used by the US, with armoured vehicles and soldiers at the gates of RAF Lakenheath in eastern England.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents,\u201d Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone told reporters. \u201cA cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can \u200bexpect to see an emergency services \u200bpresence in the area for \u2060some time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Daily Mail website carried a photograph of five men without shirts who it said had been arrested.<\/span><\/p>\n A spokesperson for the US Air Force declined to discuss specific force protection measures.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe 501st Combat Support \u200bWing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety \u200band security of our \u2060US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nDECLARATION OF A MAJOR INCIDENT<\/span><\/h2>\n