WHELFORD, England — British police arrested five men in the early hours of Sunday near RAF Fairford, an air base used by U.S. long-range bombers in the war against Iran, on suspicion of explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act.
Gloucestershire police said they received a call at 12:45 a.m. relating to three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be traveling toward the base in western England. Armed officers arrested five men in the Whelford area, about a mile from the airfield, according to Reuters. The men were initially detained on suspicion of offenses under explosives law and later further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation.
About 85 households were evacuated from properties near where the vehicles were found, and a 400-meter cordon remains in place around them, the BBC reported. The army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit examined the vehicles. Police said the incident is believed to be contained but that residents should expect an emergency services presence in the area for some time.
Police said Monday that all five men are British nationals in their mid-20s who live in London. Their names have not been released, and officers said they were still working to establish any motivation, according to Reuters. Senior Counter Terrorism Policing coordinator Vicki Evans said the investigation is in its early stages: “We are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.” Under Britain’s counter-terrorism laws, suspects can be held for up to 14 days before they are charged.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the arrests “fantastic,” telling reporters in Chicago that the men were looking to do “big damage” and had been under investigation “for a long time” by British and American authorities. However, multiple British media outlets — including the BBC, the Guardian and the Telegraph — reported, citing sources, that the operation was not intelligence-led, suggesting that the vigilance of local residents played a key role in alerting authorities.
RAF Fairford, a British-owned base operated by the U.S. Air Force under an agreement dating back to the Cold War, has been used by American bombers for strikes against Iranian missile sites, according to the AP. The war was launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have previously warned that any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory would be a legitimate target, and authorities are investigating a possible link to Iran as one line of inquiry. The British government said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being updated on the incident.