Police arrest 5 near US air base in England
Photo: REUTERS
Counter-terror police are leading a major investigation after Gloucestershire police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosive offenses in South West England.
Authorities declared a major incident and evacuated dozens of homes near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire following a report on Sunday concerning three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the air base.
An Army explosive ordnance disposal team examined the vehicles near the airfield, which the United States Air Force (USAF) actively uses. Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) and Gloucestershire police confirmed that the inquiry remains in its initial stages, with all five suspects remaining in custody as of Sunday evening.
The operation was not intelligence-led. Gloucestershire officers initially detained the suspects under the Explosives Act before re-arresting them on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Officials informed evacuated residents from the nearby village of Whelford that they could not return home overnight, although authorities believe the incident is contained. Emergency responders established a 400-meter cordon around the area and deployed a hazardous area response team.
Aerial photographs showed a remote-controlled robot approaching stationary white vans in a wooded area, though police have not officially confirmed the machine’s use. The site shares a lengthy history with the American military and recently served as a staging post for US warplanes executing defensive strikes on Iran.
An unnamed local woman told the BBC that she alerted law enforcement after seeing three parked vans and a group of masked men near the base early Sunday. She initially called the Ministry of Defence (MoD) police, but after nobody answered, she dialed 999.
Another local resident also observed three vehicles moving toward the base and notified police “straight away”. The MoD declined to comment on the matter.
Police woke Whelford resident Julian Tudsbury by knocking on his door during the evacuation of 85 households to a local leisure center. Julian Tudsbury described the experience, saying, “There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate.”
Another resident, who identified himself only as Jeff, heard shouting outside his home. Jeff recounted the moment, saying, “[I] looked out the window and saw men were being held by police outside the house. They were armed, it was surreal.”
Moreover, an image sent to the BBC depicted detained individuals in Whelford, located about 350 meters (1,148 feet) from runway access at Crash Gate 6A at RAF Fairford. Although the BBC could not verify the original source, BBC Verify geolocated the image and confirmed that it appeared authentic.
Commenting on the arrests, US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been “looking to do big damage”, adding, “We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stated that he communicated with his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth. A USAF spokesperson noted that personnel remain vigilant, though they did not discuss specific force protection methods.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense raised the threat level at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - which hosts the USAF’s 48th Fighter Wing - to its second-highest category. During a late Sunday news conference, Gloucestershire Constabulary’s temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth added that she believed the matter was “contained” when asked if police were searching for other individuals.
Gloucestershire police reconfirmed that displaced residents would not be returning to their homes on Sunday night. Cotswold District Council deputy chief executive David Stanley stated that the council would find overnight accommodation for affected residents who were unable to stay with family or friends.
Source: BBC (adapted)
