RAF Fairford Arrests: Five Suspects Released on Bail

British counterterrorism police say five men arrested near a base used by U.S. bombers are free on bail with strict conditions, while investigators look at whether a foreign state played any role

A U.S. B-1 Lancer bomber at RAF Fairford, the air base near where five men were arrested Sunday.

Five men arrested near RAF Fairford in southwestern England on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act were released on police bail Monday, British counterterrorism officials said. Police stressed that the investigation is still open.

"To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over," Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism policing, said in a statement outside New Scotland Yard in London. He said the men are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others and remain under investigation.

What police say happened

Gloucestershire Police received a call around 12:45 a.m. Sunday about three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base, which is used by the U.S. Air Force. Armed officers responded, and five men were arrested near the village of Whelford. They were first held on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act and were later also arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act.

Counterterrorism police said all five are British nationals in their 20s from London. One is 24 and from Camden. Three, aged 23, 24 and 25, are from Westminster, and one, aged 24, is from Willesden. Police have not named them, in keeping with British rules that protect suspects' anonymity until they are charged.

Officials have not said what the men are suspected of planning, what they were carrying or what was found in the three white vans seen near the base. Aerial video broadcast Sunday showed a bomb disposal robot working between the vans in a wooded area, and CNN reported hearing what sounded like two controlled detonations from the direction of the village. CBS News noted that there were no reports suggesting explosives had been discovered. Police said the vehicles were examined extensively overnight and that the work produced multiple new lines of inquiry.

About 85 homes in Whelford were evacuated. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Monday that the scene was now safe and that residents would soon be able to return. A cordon remained in place, and police said military assets were still deployed at the site.

Possible foreign link is being examined

Taylor said investigators are looking at every angle, including that the incident may involve "proxies or individuals" acting "either knowingly or unknowingly" for a foreign state. Police said they are still working to establish a motive and the full circumstances, including what each of the men knew.

Fairford has been used by B-1 and B-52 bombers flying missions against Iran during the U.S.-Israeli war that began in late February. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned in July that any base used to attack Iranian territory is a legitimate target.

Iran's embassy in London denied any connection on Monday. It said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns" what it called unfounded and malicious speculation linking Iran to the arrests. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said he did not want to speculate at this stage, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham had urged people on Sunday not to speculate while authorities establish the facts.

Questions about how the men were spotted

President Trump told reporters Sunday that the U.S. and Britain worked together on the arrests and that the men had been under investigation for a long time. British authorities have not commented on that claim, and it is unclear whether the men were under surveillance before they arrived in the area. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband declined to address it, citing the ongoing investigation.

Several British outlets, including the BBC, the Guardian and the Telegraph, reported that the operation was not intelligence-led, citing sources. That has focused attention on a local farmer from Whelford who says she called authorities after finding the vans blocking a road and her farm driveway while she was returning from a party. She said the vans were parked in a "really strange formation," and she described seeing a group of men, most with their faces covered. Police have not said they are looking for anyone else, and CNN said it was asking police about the difference.

The farmer said she first tried Ministry of Defence police and then called 999. Police said their own first call came about an hour earlier, and it is not clear what happened in the time between. Streeting said she had only "a partial picture" of events. She responded that she had seen three unusual vehicles and unknown men in her village, and that no official had followed up with her.

Roz Savage, the Liberal Democrat MP whose district includes the base, said she is writing to the prime minister and defense secretary. She said the weekend's events cast doubt on assurances given to residents about their safety. Reform leader Nigel Farage said the case raised questions about national security. Vicki Evans, a senior counterterrorism police official, asked for space to work, saying police are aware of the speculation and the geopolitical questions being raised.

What happens next

Burnham said he would chair a meeting of COBRA, the government's emergency committee, on Monday afternoon to make sure ministers had the full picture. The suspects remain on bail under investigation, and police have not announced any charges. The U.S. Air Force said personnel at Fairford remain vigilant but would not discuss specific security measures, and the U.S. Embassy in London urged Americans in Britain to be cautious and follow local authorities' instructions.