Five men arrested over a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford are all British nationals aged in their 20s and from London, police have said. The arrests took place in Whelford, Gloucestershire, in the early hours of Sunday, initially on suspicion of explosives offences and later on suspicion of terrorism.
Farmer raises alarm
A farmer in Whelford dialled 999 after seeing three vans and a group of masked men near the base. Dozens of homes had to be evacuated as bomb disposal teams were called in near RAF Fairford. The base is used by US planes to carry out bombing missions against Iran.
Investigation and response
Counter-terrorism police are understood to be investigating whether any potential plot could be linked to Iran, which has used proxies to carry out crimes on British soil in the past. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the farmer for raising the alarm after she came across the group of men wearing balaclavas in the early hours of Sunday morning. He hinted that Britain’s security services had been aware of a potential plot to target the base.
Security experts say the UK and US authorities may not have been aware of the specific terror attack which was allegedly thwarted.
