Five men were arrested, later release on bail, near RAF Fairford in western England on Sunday after police received reports of three suspicious vans travelling towards the military air base, which has been used by US bombers during the war against Iran. The men were initially detained under explosives legislation and were later arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Three vans were searched by an Army bomb-disposal team, while a 400-metre cordon was imposed around the vehicles and residents of about 85 homes in nearby Whelford were evacuated.
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British counterterrorism officers are now investigating what the men were allegedly planning. No motive has been officially confirmed. The arrests come amid heightened concern in Britain over hostile-state activity and at a particularly sensitive time for RAF Fairford, given its role in US military operations against Iran.
5 arrested, then out on bail
Five young British men arrested on explosives and terrorism charges near a US-operated air force base in western England were later released on bail, while counter-terrorism police said they were pursuing “multiple lines of inquiry”, including a possible link to Iran.
The five men, all British nationals from London and in their 20s, were arrested early Sunday after police received reports of three suspicious white vans travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Armed officers responded in the Whelford area after the alert was received at about 12.45am.
The men were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and were later arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism, Gloucestershire Police said.
The suspects were released on bail Monday with stringent conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation”, said Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing.
Britain's national news agency PA reported, without citing sources, that police had not found viable explosives.
RAF Fairford is a UK-owned military base that has been used by US bombers during conflicts in the Middle East, including this year's war with Iran. The base has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.
Gloucestershire Police said officers were working to establish the circumstances surrounding the men's activity, their knowledge and any possible motive. “At this time, we are working to establish the full circumstances of the activity of those arrested, their knowledge and any motivation behind this incident,” police said, urging caution over speculation while counter-terrorism officers investigate.
'999 call foiled plans'
Police were alerted in the early hours of Sunday after reports of three white vans apparently travelling towards RAF Fairford. A local farmer later told the BBC that she encountered the vans and then saw a group of “hooded and masked men” moving towards nearby fields. She said she called 999 at about 1.36am after initially trying to contact Ministry of Defence police.
“I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had,” the farmer told the BBC. She said armed police arrived in the village within about 10 minutes. Five men were arrested in the Whelford area and were initially held on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. They were subsequently arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The farmer questioned whether the area around the base was being adequately monitored, but Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said she had only a “partial picture” of the incident.
Read more: 5 held in UK for suspected plot to attack air base used by US
Incident under probe
British authorities have not publicly established who, if anyone, was behind the suspected plot. However, Reuters reported that investigators were giving greatest weight to a possible Iranian link, while also examining Russian sabotage and an Islamist plot. The investigation comes against a backdrop of repeated British warnings about hostile activity linked to Iran.
The timing is significant because RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force during its military campaign against Iran. Britain allowed the US to use bases in the UK for what it described as defensive operations against Iranian missiles and their launch sites. Iran has previously warned that bases used to launch attacks against its territory could be considered legitimate targets. British officials have also accused Iran-linked proxies of involvement in arson and sabotage attempts in the UK and elsewhere, allegations Tehran has denied.
However, Iran’s embassy in London on Monday denied any involvement. It said in a statement that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” surrounding the arrest of five men near the base in western England.
Bomb-disposal robot used
The three suspicious vans became the focus of a major security operation after the arrests. Police established a 400-metre cordon around the vehicles and called in the Army's explosive ordnance disposal unit. A bomb-disposal robot was deployed to examine the vans remotely, with footage showing the machine moving around the vehicles and appearing to inspect one of them.
