The United Kingdom’s Counter-Terrorism Police are investigating an alleged plan to carry out a terrorist attack against the Royal Air Force (RAF) air base at Fairford, in southern England, used by the United States.
Five suspects were arrested on Sunday, the 27th, but released on Monday, the 28th, on bail. They were in three vans, which are being examined by forensic experts.
What does the local police say?
Gloucestershire Police said that, around 00:45 on Sunday, they received a report that three suspicious vehicles were heading toward the RAF air base at Fairford. According to the force, officers went to the scene and arrested five suspects.
Initially, the men were detained for offenses under the Explosives Act. Later, however, suspicions of preparing a terrorist act were added, under the United Kingdom’s Terrorism Act.
A 400-meter area was cordoned off around the vehicles and, as a precaution, about 85 families were evacuated from properties in the region. Although the cordon remained in place, residents were allowed to return home by the late afternoon of this Monday.
What does the witness say?
A local farmer who claimed to have seen the suspects near the air base told her account to the BBC, the British broadcaster.
The woman, who did not have her identity revealed, said she alerted the police around 1:36 a.m. after seeing a large group of hooded and masked men in fields near the facility. She added that she was shocked that it was up to her, as a citizen, to see and report the men.
What does Trump say?
When questioned about the case on Sunday, the U.S. president, Donald Trump, stated that the suspects were detained after cooperation between Washington and London and that they had been “under surveillance” for some time.
“We were investigating them. They wanted to cause serious damage to our base,” Trump said. He added that he knew “everything” about the suspects and that “there will be news about it very soon.”
The head of Counter-Terrorism Police, Deputy Commissioner Laurence Taylor, however, did not confirm that officers had prior knowledge of the situation. “I am also very aware that there is a lot of speculation about what may or may not have been known beforehand regarding possible threats or activities. As I hope the public understands, I will not always be able to share that kind of information,” Taylor said in a statement released on Monday afternoon.
The commissioner also stated that the force is in contact with MI5, the United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence service.
What does the British government say?
On Sunday, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, urged people not to speculate about who was behind the action.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Burnham said, who urged Britons to let the police “establish all the facts”.
On Monday, the British Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, did not provide details about the operation, but stated that “it was a moment of pride” that Trump acknowledged the work that the police and Britain’s intelligence services “do every day”.
Streeting also praised the farmer who alerted the police, but suggested she had only a partial view of what had happened.
“I want to pay tribute to this citizen for her vigilance,” he said. “She did exactly what we would expect someone from the public to do in the situation she found herself in.”
“Of course she will have had only a partial view, and I do not wish to go further or discuss operational and security details at this time,” he added.
Who are the detainees?
The Counter-Terrorism Police did not disclose the identities of those detained, but said that all are London-born British citizens and are between 23 and 25 years old.
In the statement, Taylor said that, after lengthy interviews and investigations, the suspects were released on bail.
“They are subject to strict conditions regarding their movement and contact with other people. They remain under investigation as we explore various lines of inquiry,” the commissioner said.
How is the investigation going?
In the same statement, Taylor also confirmed that Counter-Terrorism Police are investigating the possibility that the attack was planned by “representatives or citizens who, knowingly or unknowingly, act on behalf of a foreign state.”
British newspapers, such as The Times and The Telegraph, said that one of the hypotheses being investigated is a possible link between the suspects and Iran. Russia and militant groups tied to other countries are also being investigated.
The Iranian Embassy in London, however, denied any connection with the alleged plot, stating in a release issued on Monday that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it described as “baseless and malicious speculation” about the incident at the air base.
The vehicles the suspects were travelling in were subjected to forensic examination, with the support of military resources and forensic experts.
Items that could be explosive found near the air base are also being analyzed. According to the British news agency PA, so far the police have not found artifacts that could be used.
Initially, the United Kingdom’s former Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who left office officially in July, did not allow the United States to use British air bases to attack Iran. However, after attacks against British allies across the Middle East, Starmer changed position and stated that he would permit American “defensive” strikes against Iran from Fairford. Subtly, Burnham maintained that policy.
In July, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to attack Fairford, warning that any base used to launch attacks against their country would constitute a “legitimate target.”
Previously, the facility had already been used by the U.S. Army in operations during the Gulf War in the early 1990s, and during the Iraq War in 2003.
*With information from international agencies.
