SHANNON AIRPORT, COUNTY CLARE — A man used a hatchet to attack a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft at Shannon Airport in County Clare, Ireland, on Saturday. Garda Síochána, Ireland's national police force, arrested the man after the attack.

The man entered a restricted area at the airport before reaching the military plane. He then climbed onto the aircraft's wing and hacked at the wing and fuselage, causing extensive damage to the plane.

The attack caused Shannon Airport to close for just under 30 minutes. The airport serves both commercial and transit traffic and has functioned as a refueling and transit stopover for U.S. military aircraft since the Iraq War era.

The C-130 Hercules is a military transport aircraft used in a wide range of operational situations. The plane involved in Saturday's attack was valued at an estimated $75 million.

Shannon Airport has been the site of regularly scheduled pro-Palestine protests. Demonstrators have also gathered at the airport to demand that the Irish government inspect U.S. military planes for weapons bound for Israel.

Garda Síochána is conducting an investigation into the attack.