British counter-terrorism police announced Monday that five British nationals arrested near RAF Fairford in western England on suspicion of an attack plot against the U.S. bomber base will be released on bail under stringent movement conditions, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Five men aged between 23 and 25 from the London area were arrested early Sunday close to RAF Fairford, according to British counter-terrorism police statements reported by CNN. Laurence Taylor, a senior officer in UK counter-terrorism police, stated during a brief news conference on Monday that the release of the suspects does not mean the investigation is over, noting that all five will face strict conditions on their movements.
Arrests Near RAF Fairford and Ongoing Police Investigation
The suspects were initially detained under laws concerning the possession of explosives before being additionally arrested on suspicion of the preparation of a terrorist act, according to a statement by counter-terrorism police. Authorities have not disclosed the specific location of the detentions or the contents of three white vans believed to be used by the men. Aerial footage broadcast Sunday showed a bomb disposal robot operating among the vans in wooded areas near the airbase, with the rear doors of two vehicles open and large black items scattered nearby. CNN teams in the area later reported hearing sounds consistent with two controlled detonations originating from the nearby village.
RAF Fairford, located in western England, is currently utilized by the U.S. Air Force for long-range B-1 bomber missions. In March, the UK government authorized the U.S. Air Force to use the base to conduct strikes against Iranian missile sites involved in attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings designating the base a legitimate target, and Iranian media subsequently published footage of individuals at the facility’s perimeter fence waving an Iranian flag and describing the location as a departure point for aircraft attacking their homeland. However, the Iranian Embassy in London issued a statement Monday strongly condemning what it termed unfounded and malicious speculations linking Iran to the arrests.
Vigilance by Local Residents and Official Reactions
Multiple British media outlets, including the BBC, the Guardian, and the Telegraph, cited sources indicating the operation was not intelligence-led, pointing instead to the vigilance of local residents in alerting emergency services. A local farmer and resident told CNN she encountered three white vans parked in a strange formation approximately 100 meters from the base fence early Saturday night. She reported that several individuals had their faces covered and some ran toward a field and a neighboring village before she contacted emergency services at 1:40 a.m. Counter-terrorism police confirmed they received an initial call regarding three suspicious vehicles heading toward the airbase roughly an hour prior to the resident’s emergency call.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the arrests during an appearance in Chicago, describing the operation as fantastic and asserting that authorities had the suspects under surveillance for a long time.
They were looking to do big damage to our fort and working with the British worked out great. We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.
Donald Trump, US President
UK authorities have not commented on the U.S. president’s assertions regarding prior surveillance, and it remains unclear whether the men were monitored before arriving in the Fairford area.
Asked whether a hostile foreign state orchestrated the incident, British Defense Minister Wes Streeting stated on Monday that he did not want to speculate at the current stage of the investigation. Streeting added that the local resident who called emergency services possessed only a partial picture of events and praised the unsung work of police and security services. Meanwhile, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson for the 501st Combat Support Wing at Fairford declined to discuss specific force protection measures for operational security reasons.
Продолжение темы
