President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States had been working with Britain in connection with the arrest of several men near RAF Fairford, a British military air base used by the U.S. Air Force.

“Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our ports,” Trump said.

British counterterrorism police are investigating after a major incident was declared near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwestern England. Several men have been arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses.

Police received a call at approximately 12:45 a.m. local time about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward RAF Fairford. Armed officers responded in the Whelford area, where five men were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act. They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

There was a significant police presence in the area Sunday morning as authorities evacuated residents from homes in Whelford, a village neighboring the air base.

Residents said police arrived at their homes at around 6:30 a.m. and told them they needed to leave immediately because a major incident was underway. Some described the experience as frightening. Evacuated residents were taken to a nearby leisure center while authorities continued their investigation.

Around 85 households were evacuated as a precaution.

Army explosives experts have been examining three vehicles as part of the investigation, while police remained deployed throughout the area.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Vicki Evans, deputy assistant police commissioner and national coordinator for counterterrorism policing in the U.K., said in a statement. “As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

RAF Fairford hosts U.S. military activity and has been used by American forces for limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28, the British government permitted the U.S. military to use the base for strikes against Iranian missile sites.

Investigators are examining whether the incident could have any connection to U.S. military activity associated with the Iran war or potentially to the Russian state. At this stage, however, any such connection remains speculation, and no link has been established in the information released so far.

Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said emergency services have established procedures for responding to major incidents and that residents should expect a continued police presence in the area.

“We’d like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support,” Ocone said. “We appreciate the disruption this will have caused and would like to reassure them we are working as quickly as we can to get them back in their properties.”

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