Pro-Palestinian activists say they damaged planes on a U.K. air force base

A British Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft carrying members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade arrives at Brize Norton, England, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

LONDON — British police are searching for suspects after pro-Palestinian activists claimed to have broken into a Royal Air Force Base and damaged two planes with red paint, officials said Friday.

The group Palestine Action said two members entered RAF Brize Norton on Wednesday and used electric scooters to approach the Voyager jets, which are used for air-to-air refueling.

The duo sprayed red paint into the planes’ turbine engines with repurposed fire extinguishers and caused further damage with crowbars, according to the group, which released video footage appearing to show an individual approach a jet and spray paint into the engine.

The activists left the base without being detained, Palestine Action said.

The group said in a statement that “despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets.” It called the U.K. “an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.”

Britain’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident, saying: “We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets.”

Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain’s main air base for operations in the Middle East. The U.K. has sent more Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager tankers to Cyprus since the Israel-Iran war started a week ago for what Prime Minister Keir Starmer called “contingency support.”

Iran has threatened to attack U.S., French and British bases in the region if those countries help Israel fend off Iranian strikes.

Thames Valley Police said in a statement that it had “received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage.”

Officers were working with staff at the base and the Ministry of Defense Police to arrest the perpetrators, the department said.

The Associated Press