Five men remain in custody after British police arrested them early Sunday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act near a Royal Air Force base used by United States forces, according to multiple international news outlets including ABC News and NBC affiliates.
Gloucestershire Police received a call around 12:45 a.m. local time reporting three suspicious trucks travelling toward RAF Fairford, a base in Whelford, England, that has hosted American B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers involved in U.S. operations tied to the standoff with Iran since February, according to ABC News. Officers arrested the five men overnight in the Whelford area on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and of preparing a terrorist act.
Police declared a major incident and evacuated nearby residents to a recreation centre while a security cordon was set up around the scene, ABC News reported. The British Army’s explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to examine the vehicles involved in the incident.
“We believe this incident is contained,” police said in a statement carried by ABC News. “We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place.”
Metropolitan Police counterterrorism co-ordinator Vicki Evans said the investigation remains in its early stages.
“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Evans said, according to a wire service report.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the arrests while speaking to reporters in Chicago, saying American authorities had been tracking the men before British police moved in.
“It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation,” Trump said. “They were looking to do big damage to our fort.”
RAF Fairford is owned by the United Kingdom but has operated under U.S. Air Force control since a Cold War era agreement, and it is currently home to the 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron, according to wire reports. The base’s profile has risen since February, when it became a staging ground for American heavy bombers involved in the confrontation with Iran, making it a higher profile target for security threats than in previous years.
No injuries have been reported, and police have not released the identities or nationalities of the five men in custody. Investigators have not said publicly whether any explosive material was recovered from the trucks, and the case remains active as of Sunday evening.
Canadian broadcasters including CBC News and Global News carried the arrests Sunday as a top international story, a reflection of the close defence ties linking Canada, the United States and Britain through NATO and other longstanding security arrangements. The incident also comes amid broader concern about security at American military installations abroad following months of tension over Iran.
Authorities in Britain have not said whether they expect further arrests. No court appearances had been scheduled for the five men as of Sunday evening, and police have asked the public to avoid the area around RAF Fairford while the investigation continues.
