Law enforcement in the UK said that it arrested five men on Sunday in the middle of the night, local time, near an air base used by the US.
Law enforcement in the UK said that it arrested five men on Sunday in the middle of the night, local time, near an air base used by the US during its war against Iran. The men are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act that appeared to involve three trucks.
London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said local police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to the three suspicious vehicles. The vehicles appeared to be traveling toward RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base that is operated by the U.S. under an agreement dating back to the Cold War.
Fairford has been used by American bombers for strictly limited strikes against Iran under an agreement with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who voiced opposition to the war.
The five men were initially arrested on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act in the Whelford area near RAF Fairford, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron.
“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Vicki Evans, the Met’s counterterrorism policing senior national coordinator. “As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
U.S. President Donald Trump heaped praise on those involved with the arrests.
“It was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort. And working with the British worked out great,” he told reporters in Chicago. “We had them under view for a long time and we got them.”
