Five Arrested in UK on Suspicion of Terrorism Near US Air Force Base
Police are investigating suspicious vehicles outside RAF Fairford, a base used by the U.S. Air Force for operations in the Middle East.
British police arrested five men on Sunday on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism and explosives offenses outside RAF Fairford, a military base in western England operated by the U.S. Air Force. Counterterror officers are leading the investigation, and three suspicious vehicles are being searched.
RAF Fairford is one of several bases in Britain used by the U.S. Air Force under an agreement dating from the 1950s. The base is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and serves as a forward operating location for U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. Its long runway makes it suitable for heavy bombers and it has been used in past conflicts, including the Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq war, and the recent U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
American B-1 and B-52 bombers have operated from Fairford during the Iran conflict. Anti-war campaigners have previously protested outside the base's perimeter fence in response to the conflict.
It remains unclear if the arrests are connected to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. British security officials have previously warned that proxies linked to Iran could expand their targets in the U.K. if regional conflicts continue. Some local residents reported increased security measures around RAF Fairford in recent days, including heavy vehicles parked across entrance gates.
Another American base, RAF Lakenheath in eastern England, has confirmed it is on Charlie alert, the second-highest threat level issued by the U.S. Department of Defense, indicating that a terrorist action targeting personnel or facilities is likely. U.S. European Command declined to comment on specific force protection measures at RAF Fairford.