Five Terror Suspects Arrested in UK Near US Air Force Base
Authorities foiled a suspected van bombing plot targeting RAF Fairford, a key base for U.S. operations in Europe.
British counter-terrorism police arrested five individuals on suspicion of plotting a van bombing attack at Royal Air Force Fairford, a military base in Gloucestershire, England, used by the U.S. Air Force. The arrests occurred Sunday after authorities discovered chemicals and suspected explosive devices in a van near the base.
Dramatic images from the scene showed several men, stripped to the waist, being held at gunpoint by officers who suspected they might have been wearing suicide vests. A bomb disposal robot was later observed operating near three vans at the site. Residents in the nearby village of Whelford were evacuated as a major incident was declared.
MI5 is assisting counter-terrorism police with the ongoing investigation, though authorities have stated that the threat is contained. The suspects are being held on suspicion of possessing explosives.
RAF Fairford serves as the U.S. Air Force's command outpost for operations in Europe. The base has been utilized for American strikes against Iranian missile sites, particularly in response to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. In July, Iran's Revolutionary Guard had previously issued a warning to the British government against allowing U.S. bombers to fly from the base, which houses the U.S. 501st Combat Support Wing Headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron.