A gunman opened fire outside of an Air Force base in Nevada linked to Area 51, according to police. 

The unknown suspect ‘fired rounds’ at the main gate of Nellis Air Force Base around 12.30am Wednesday in Las Vegas. 

Air Force security officers then ‘challenged the suspect who pointed his firearm at them,’ the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said. 

The alleged shooter was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries after a tourniquet was applied. 

Following the terrifying incident, Nellis Air Force Base took to Facebook saying its main gate will be temporarily closed ‘until further notice’. 

In the meantime, another gate has been opened to ‘alleviate traffic flow’. The base will announce when the main gate is reopened. 

There is no threat to the public and the investigation is ongoing, officials said. 

Area 51 is a highly classified U.S. Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, which falls under the broader jurisdiction of Nellis Air Force Base.

While both sites are used for testing classified aircraft and weapons, Area 51 is a remote, secretive part of the military complex, far from the main base gates in Las Vegas. 

An unidentified gunman opened fire at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, Las Vegas around 12.30am Wednesday

The alleged shooter ‘fired rounds’ at the main gate of the base before Air Force security officers fired back at him, shooting him in the leg 

There is no threat to the public and the investigation is ongoing, officials said

The Daily Mail contacted Nellis Air Force Base and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for comment. 

The base hosts a series of air combat exercises, including Red Flag, close air support and Green Flag-West, among others. 

It opened up in April 1950 and was dedicated to the family of William Harrel Nellis, a United States fighter pilot who died in the line of duty. 

He flew 70 World War II combat missions. 

The base was initially named the Las Vegas Air Force Base prior to his death.