A farmer who spotted men "hanging around" near RAF Fairford alerted frightened neighbours to lock their doors moments before armed officers descended on five suspects in an alleged terror plot.
The woman sounded the alarm after noticing three suspicious vans close to the US-operated airbase in Gloucestershire, dialling 999 at around 12.45am. She also urged local residents to keep their doors and windows shut as police raced to the scene, The Mirror reports.
Five men arrested and investigated
Five men were subsequently arrested, with counter-terrorism detectives now probing whether the suspects have connections to Iran. President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident, claiming the suspects were "looking to do big damage", adding that US intelligence "had them under view for a long time, and we got them."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham branded the incident "deeply concerning", while images from the scene showed five shirtless men being detained near the Gloucestershire base.
Aerial footage also captured a bomb disposal robot circling three white vans, two of which had their rear doors open. Large black barrels were visible scattered nearby.
Base at centre of tensions
RAF Fairford has found itself at the heart of escalating tensions surrounding the UK's backing of US military action against Iran, after ministers permitted American forces to use the base for strikes on Iranian missile sites accused of posing a threat to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The airbase was specifically named in a warning issued by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in July, cautioning Britain against permitting U.S. bombers to operate from Fairford.
It is understood that all other U.S. bases have been placed on Delta alert, the nation's highest security status. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans confirmed that investigators remained in the "early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody".
She further stated that Counter Terrorism officers were "working closely" with partners to "understand the circumstances of the incident". Ms Evans added: "We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene."
Evacuation and witness accounts
A 400m exclusion zone was established around the vehicles while the Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit carried out a thorough examination of the situation, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner confirmed. In total, 85 households were evacuated as a precautionary measure, with residents permitted to return on Sunday evening (September 27).
The woman who dialled 999 alerted authorities after spotting men "hanging around" two vans that appeared to be theirs. She had noticed the suspects and the abandoned vehicles on a quiet country road while driving home from a party in the early hours, recounting how she had driven away before contacting police and warning a local WhatsApp group to 'lock their doors'.
Less than 25 minutes later, officers had responded and detained five men, with footage capturing them handcuffed and seated in the road. The 999 caller described feeling "quite lucky", concerned about what might have unfolded had the men noticed her attempting to contact emergency services.
Another resident, who requested anonymity, commented: "Thank goodness this woman in the village saw what she saw and had the wit to call the cops out quickly. She may well have saved a lot of lives. She saw that these guys hanging around the two vans and said they were acting suspiciously and did not appear to be locals."
The man who took the photos stated: "I couldn't tell what was being shouted but as I got nearer the window, I could see the road was being lit up by blue flashing lights from police vehicles.
"On one side of the road, officers had five men lined up. They all had their shirts removed They were instructed to sit down. They were patted down by the officers and then had their shoes and socks removed.
"I think they must have been there for about half an hour. The suspects were then told to get up and were walked round the corner.
"I lost sight of them after that but I presumed they were put in police vans and led away. This all happened just outside the perimeter of RAF Fairford. The police are investigating three work vans parked a few hundred yards from my house. We've not been told much, we were just asked to evacuate our homes early this morning."
Meanwhile, another woman residing on the perimeter of the base reported what appeared to be heightened military security in recent days.
