London: The UK’s counter-terror police said it is leading an investigation after five men were arrested Sunday on suspicion of terror offences near a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Fairford that hosts US forces.
The Metropolitan Police said armed officers responded after the local police unit received a call at 00:45 local time relating to three suspicious vehicles, which appeared to be travelling towards RAF Fairford in south-west England.
The men were arrested in the Whelford area of Gloucestershire on suspicion of committing offences under the UK Explosives Act and were further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.
"Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire," the Met Police said in a statement.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing Senior National Coordinator, said her team is in the early stages of an investigation and the five arrested men remain in custody.
“As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident. We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene," said Evans.
“A 400 metre cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the Army’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit conduct examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place,” she said.
Major incident declared at RAF Fairford
Earlier, Gloucestershire Constabulary declared a “major incident” as the British Army sent in its bomb squad. The force’s Assistant Chief Constable, Richard Ocone, urged the public not to speculate and follow official channels for updates.
“The emergency services have well-rehearsed plans for dealing with major incidents. A cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time," said Ocone.
“A nearby leisure centre has been opened to provide a safe space for anyone evacuated and unable to go to friends or relatives. We’d like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support.
A UK government spokesperson said British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving updates on the incident at the air base, which hosts a large number of US Air Force personnel and operations. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the “specialist teams” for acting “swiftly” as the “Armed Forces are on standby 24/7”.
“We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing,” a UK government spokesperson said.
RAF Fairford used by US in West Asia war
RAF Fairford has been used to launch US operations against Iran during the ongoing war in West Asia.
A spokesperson for the US Air Force declined to discuss specific force protection measures, but stated that the "501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families.”
“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families,” the spokesperson said.
Previous threat to RAF Fairford base from Iran
The incident follows a threat in July by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to attack RAF Fairford and veiled threats against the “British monarchy regime”.
A local councillor said on Sunday that there had been a threat six weeks ago from Iran on the RAF Fairford airbase, which has been used by the US to strike Iranian targets. The councillor for the Cotswold District, Tristan Wilkinson, said that after the threat, there had been increased surveillance in the area.
(With inputs from AP via PTI & Reuters)
