Five individuals have been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act after three suspicious vehicles were spotted near the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford, the BBC reports.
Early on Sunday morning, the 27th of September, an emergency situation was declared near the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, and dozens of homes were evacuated. An army bomb disposal team examined the vehicles, which had headed toward the RAF base—a facility also used by the US Air Force (USAF). The operation was led by police counter-terrorism units. Residents evacuated from the nearby village of Whelford were told they would not be able to return home overnight. A 400-meter exclusion zone was established around the vehicles.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was also informed of the alarming situation near the RAF base. The base has historical ties to the US military and has recently been used as a staging point for American warplanes conducting strikes against Iran. US President Donald Trump stated that the arrested individuals had intended to cause significant damage, adding that they had long been on the radar of security services and have now been apprehended.
British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting reported that he is in contact with his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth. A USAF spokesperson said that personnel remain vigilant but did not disclose specific security measures. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense raised the alert level to the second-highest tier at the RAF Lakenheath base in Suffolk, where USAF fighter jets are stationed.
British counter-terrorism forces (CTP) and the Gloucestershire Police indicated that
the investigation is in its early stages, and as of the Sunday evening, all suspects were in custody.
To the BBC’s knowledge, the operation was not led by intelligence agencies. The men were initially detained by the Gloucestershire Police and arrested on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act; suspicions regarding the preparation of a terrorist attack were subsequently added. When asked if the police were searching for other individuals, Maggie Blyth, the Acting Chief Constable of Gloucestershire, said at a press conference on Sunday evening that she believed the situation had been resolved.
A local resident told the BBC that she had reported suspicious activity near the base to the police early Sunday morning. She reportedly first called the Ministry of Defence Police but received no answer, so she then called the general police number. The woman had seen three parked vans and a group of men wearing masks. The Ministry of Defence has not provided a comment.
Several local residents said that police had moved them to a leisure centre during the early hours of the morning. One local resident said he was woken up at 7 in the morning by police knocking on his door, and that 85 households in Whelford were asked to evacuate. Another Whelford resident stated that the noise outside had started around 2 in the morning; he looked out the window and saw police arresting suspects.
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