Five British nationals arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism near an RAF base in Gloucestershire have been released on police bail, police have said.
The men were arrested on Sunday after three suspicious vans were found near RAF Fairford, which is used by the United States Air Force (USAF).
Investigation continues
Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Monday, the head of UK counter-terrorism policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said: “Following extensive interviews and inquiries, the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon.
“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over. They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others. They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry.”
Motivation considered
Acknowledging speculation over whether Iran was behind the plot, he said police are keeping an open mind, and one possibility could be proxies “either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state”.
