Five detained near UK airbase as counterterror probe begins
British counterterrorism police arrested five men near RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, triggering security cordons and residential evacuations across the surrounding area.
Armed officers intervened following reports of three suspicious vehicles travelling toward the facility, which United States forces utilise for strategic air operations. Authorities detained the suspects under the Explosive Substances Act.
Precautionary evacuations and bomb disposal checks
Specialist military bomb disposal teams inspected multiple vehicles near the installation, while police evacuated more than 80 homes in the nearby village of Whelford as a protective measure.
“Police received a call reporting three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. Armed officers attended and subsequently arrested five men in the Whelford area on suspicion of offences under the Explosive Substances Act,” said Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone, adding that the suspects remain in police custody.
Heightened security and international reactions
British investigators have not formally attributed the incident to any foreign state or armed group, nor have they confirmed the exact intended target. However, US President Donald Trump stated that the suspects were targeting American military infrastructure.
“The collaboration with Great Britain was excellent. They were under investigation. They intended to do major damage to our air base. We monitored them for a long time and we caught them,” said Donald Trump.
The arrests come amid heightened security vigilance across Europe regarding hybrid operations, critical infrastructure sabotage, and foreign espionage plots. UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood previously warned that hostile states use criminal proxies to conduct disruptive activities on British soil.
Although Iranian authorities previously warned London against allowing American bombers to stage missions from Fairford, news agencies note that investigators have established no formal link between past threats and the Gloucestershire arrests.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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