France, Sept. 27 -- Villagers were evacuated and Army bomb disposal experts were "currently examining a number of vehicles," police in the southwestern county of Gloucestershire said in a statement.

Several UK media outlets, including the BBC and Sky News, reported that the counterterrorism force was leading the investigation into the incident near RAF Fairford, but that was not immediately confirmed to French press agency AFP.

A cordon is in place, and officers believe the incident has been "contained."In March, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted permission for "defensive" US action against Iranian missile sites from two UK bases, including Fairford.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident, a governmen...