Drones spark security probe at French nuclear submarine base

French prosecutors are investigating after drones were suspected to have flown over a nuclear submarine base on the Atlantic coast late on Thursday, a prosecutor in charge of military affairs in the city of Rennes said on Friday.

Jean-Marie Blin said overflights had been reported from around 19:00 (18:00 GMT) on Thursday until 01:00 (midnight GMT) on Friday morning, with the bulk of the sightings occurring during the first couple of hours. He denied press reports that gendarmes had fired at the suspected drones, but said they had taken "precautionary measures".