Five held in RAF Fairford terror probe after suspicious vehicles spotted

UK counter-terror police are leading an investigation after five men were arrested on suspicion of terror offences near Royal Air Force base RAF Fairford in south-west England. The arrests were made after police responded to reports of three suspicious vehicles apparently heading towards the base early on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police said the men were first arrested in the Whelford area of Gloucestershire on suspicion of offences under the UK Explosives Act. They were then further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

The Met Police said armed officers were sent to the area after the local police unit received a call at 12.45 am local time. In a statement, it said: "Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire."

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing Senior Coordinator, said the investigation was at an early stage and the five men remained in custody. "As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident. We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene," she said.

Evans said, "A 400 metre cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army's Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conduct examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place." Earlier, Gloucestershire Constabulary had declared a "major incident" as the British Army sent in its bomb squad.

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone urged people not to speculate and to follow official channels for updates. "The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. A cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time," he said.

He added, "A nearby leisure centre has been opened to provide a safe space for anyone evacuated and unable to go to friends or relatives. We'd like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support. We appreciate the disruption this will have caused and would like to reassure them we are working as quickly as we can to get them back in their properties."

A UK government spokesperson said Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving updates on the incident at the air base, which hosts a large number of US Air Force personnel and operations. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the "specialist teams" for acting "swiftly" as the "Armed Forces are on standby 24/7". The spokesperson said, "We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe. It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing."

RAF Fairford has been used to launch US operations against Iran during the ongoing war in West Asia. A spokesperson for the US Air Force declined to discuss specific force protection measures, but said the "501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families". The spokesperson added, "We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families."

The incident comes after a threat in July by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to attack RAF Fairford and veiled threats against the "British monarchy regime". The investigation is continuing, with the five men in custody, a cordon in place and evacuated residents waiting to return home.

With PTI Inputs

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