The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has said that the Wilmington Airport in North Carolina was evacuated due to a bomb threat on Thursday, March 12 and that the bomb squad is on the scene. The airport said via a Facebook post that they were alerted to the threat shortly before 9pm.

“Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure everyone’s safety, the terminal has been evacuated,” the airport said.

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“The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad is currently conducting a sweep of the area to assess the credibility of the threat. Safety remains our top priority.”

In a seperate post on social media, the airport wrote: “The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad has completed their sweep and determined the terminal is safe for operations. We appreciate our partners for their swift response and thank everyone for their patience and cooperation. Operations may now resume.”

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office also posted a social media statement regarding the evacuation on their Facebook page.

It read: “ILM International Evacuated. ILM International has been evacuated due to a bomb threat phoned in to the facility. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad is responding and once the facility has been deemed safe, operations will resume.”

Authorities have not confirmed whether an explosive device was actually present at the site.

The incident at the airport adds to a concerning pattern of events in recent weeks.

Numerous serious bomb threats have been recorded, including an incident where an individual drove a vehicle, reportedly packed with explosives, through a synagogue in Michigan.

The driver has been named as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, and was shot by security personnel before he could inflict the planned destruction.