Five men held near RAF Fairford released on police bail
Five men arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences near RAF Fairford have been released on strict bail conditions as investigators pursue multiple lines of inquiry. US President Trump said he was surprised by the decision.
Five UK nationals arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire have been released on police bail, Counter Terrorism Policing has announced. The men, aged 23 to 25 and from Westminster, Camden and Willesden in London, were first detained on suspicion of Explosives Act offences before being further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. They remain under investigation, with their release subject to strict conditions on movement and contact with others.
A major incident was declared in the early hours of Sunday after three suspicious vehicles were reported near the airbase, triggering the evacuation of dozens of homes. A local farmer who spotted the vehicles in the village of Whelford told the BBC it was pure luck she noticed them, describing a large group of hooded, masked men who fled into a field and towards a neighbouring village when they saw her. Her 999 call brought armed police to the scene within ten minutes.
Multiple lines of inquiry
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said officers were examining the incident from every angle, including whether proxies or individuals working knowingly or unknowingly for a foreign state were involved. The three vehicles underwent extensive forensic examination with military support.
The Iranian embassy in London rejected what it called unfounded speculation linking Iran to the incident and said it reserved the right to take legal measures over the reporting. RAF Fairford has served as a US Air Force forward operating base for decades, and US bombers have flown from it toward the Middle East since the UK approved its use for strikes on Iran.
Speaking at the White House, President Trump said he would not have released the men, adding that authorities knew everything about them, and praised close US-UK cooperation on the matter. Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra meeting and urged the public not to speculate before facts are established. Gloucestershire Police said the 85 evacuated households can now return home, though a cordon remains around the three vehicles and a five-mile no-fly zone stays in place above the base.
