Five men have been arrested on suspicion of a bomb plot after three suspicious vans were seen travelling towards RAF Fairford, a US air base in Gloucestershire. The arrests followed a 999 call reporting the vehicles, and dozens of homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Arrests after suspicious vans spotted
The three vehicles were seen heading towards the base, about four miles south of Fairford, at 12.45am. Just 45 minutes later, five men were arrested near Whelford, a rural village around two miles outside the base.
A local farmer told The Telegraph she spotted three vans blocking a country road while driving home from a party. As she backed out, she saw masked men in balaclavas run into the trees towards RAF Fairford. 'Thinking about it now, and what could have happened if they had tried to stop me from driving away, I am quite lucky,' she said.
Investigation and evacuations
Bomb disposal crews and a remote-controlled robot examined the vehicles. Footage showed the rear doors of two vans open with black items scattered around. One van had a logo of a fuel delivery company that was not registered on Companies House, and a phone number printed on it was one digit short and did not ring.
Police began evacuating 85 homes to a leisure centre at 7am. One resident, Jeff, told the BBC he heard 'shouting outside his front door' and 'people being held by police' when asked to leave. 'You get used to funny things going on sometimes around the base,' he added.
A major incident was declared at 8am. A 400m cordon remains in place, 'but we'd like to reassure people that we believe this incident is contained', the force said.
Arrests under Explosives Act and Terrorism Act
The men were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act, a 19th-century law concerning explosives, and on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. A person guilty of the offence could face life behind bars, according to section five of the Terrorism Act. The men remain in custody and have not been named as they have not been charged.
Vicki Evans, the deputy assistant commissioner of the counterterrorism police, said the force is in the 'early stages' of its investigation.
Possible Iran link and base history
Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran could have played a role in the suspected plot. US President Donald Trump told reporters that those arrested were 'looking to do big damage'. 'We had them under view for a long time, and we got them,' he said.
Former UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer gave the US the green light to use the base for its war against Iran in March. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with a warning in July, saying 'Any base used to launch attacks on Iranian territory is a legitimate target for our forces.' Tehran-owned papers said the base has been used for 'illegal and aggressive operations against Iran in recent months'.
RAF Fairford has been an American base for decades, opening in preparation for D-Day in 1944. Its 9,990-foot runway is one of the few in Europe that can support bombers. The base is home to the 501st Combat Support Wing Headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron. Airspace will be restricted until October 5, banning the flying of balloons, kites and drones, according to a NOTAM alert.
