Five men have been arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act after a farmer spotted suspects in balaclavas fleeing into fields near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Three vans of explosives were seized following the sighting, which occurred at 12:45am on Sunday morning.
Farmer raises the alarm
The farmer, who was driving home from a party with her husband, said she saw three white vans blocking a road close to the base and a group of men wearing balaclavas running into surrounding fields. She said: “We had to turn around and drive away. When we did that, we saw a group of men with masks and balaclavas running in front of us.”
She tried to call the base but could not get through, so dialled 999. Within 25 minutes, the five suspects had been rounded up by armed counter-terrorism officers. The men were later filmed shirtless amid reports they were planning a suicide mission to target a fleet of US B-1 Lancer bombers at the base.
The farmer claimed she saw more individuals than those arrested. She said: “The worst thing is that we saw more than five people and they keep saying they arrested five. They had the helicopters searching.”
Investigation and possible links to Iran
Counter-terror police are understood to be investigating whether the suspected attack was linked to Iran. The police response was not intelligence-led, meaning investigators had not known about any potential plot in advance, according to the Press Association.
Scores of people were evacuated overnight as a 400-metre cordon was put in place around the site while three vans were examined by ordnance specialists.
Temporary Chief Constable Blyth said: “Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation which means I’m unable to provide any additional information about this, but we’ve asked you here this afternoon, as senior leaders of agencies in Gloucestershire, as we wanted to provide reassurance to our local communities.”
Official responses
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the member of the public who phoned police has only “a partial picture” of the situation. He said: “Thank you to that member of the public. She has done exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do.”
US President Donald Trump praised US-UK efforts to foil the alleged attack and claimed the group were known by police. He said: “We know all about them. You'll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them. It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.”
The US Embassy issued a warning for American citizens in the UK, stating: “The US Embassy is aware of arrests on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act near the Royal Air Force base in Fairford, UK. US citizens are encouraged to exercise caution and be mindful of personal security.”
US Air Force bases in Britain have been placed on high alert, with RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk confirming it was on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level issued by the US Department of Defence. Reports indicate RAF Fairford has been raised to the highest threat level, Delta.
