Pentagon locked down after hazardous materials incident

Part of the Pentagon went into lockdown on Thursday, a spokesman said, in response to what a local fire department described as a "hazardous materials incident" at the US military headquarters.

The Arlington County Fire Department said in a post on X that it had units "including our Hazardous Materials Team" operating at the Pentagon during what it described as a "hazardous materials incident."

The fire department did not provide further details on the nature of the incident.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell meanwhile said in a statement that the building's safety systems "have detected an air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures until we determine its significance."

The Defense Department "is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area. Response teams are in place and ready to support building occupants," Parnell added.