Presidential air base briefly locked down after bomb threat

Washington: Joint Base Andrews, the military air base that is home to the US president's plane Air Force One, was briefly placed on lockdown after a woman claimed to be wearing a bomb.

"At approximately 5:15 pm today, a woman walked into the Visitor Control Center on JBA and claimed to have a bomb strapped to her chest," the base said on Twitter yesterday.

"Once emergency responders arrived, the individual was apprehended and an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team determined no explosive device was on-scene."

The base added that emergency workers were still securing the area and told residents and personnel to avoid the area.

Andrews is about 15 miles southeast of Washington DC and is the main airport used by the president, secretary of state and other senior officials and visiting dignitaries.