United Kingdom: Five arrested on suspicion of planning 'terrorist act' against military base used by US Air Force
"Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Armed police stand guard at an entrance to Fairford
The London Metropolitan Police reported on Sunday that it had arrested five men on suspicion of planning a "terrorist act" against an air base in southwest England used by the U.S. Air Force.
"Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Several nearby homes evacuated
In an earlier statement, Gloucestershire Police indicated that bomb squads were called in to inspect the area near the base. As a precaution, several nearby homes were evacuated.
Shortly before that, Gloucestershire Police had announced the arrest of several men "on suspicion of committing offen[s]es under the Explosives Act."
British Defense Minister Wes Streeting expressed his gratitude to the "emergency and specialist teams." "We can be reassured that this is being dealt with," he stated on X.
Fairford is the British base for a U.S. Air Force unit
Fairford is the British base for the 501st Combat Support Wing, an administrative unit of the U.S. Air Force.
This unit stated in a press release that none of its members had been involved in the incident. "We remain in close coordination with our U.K. partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities," the unit said.
In March, the then-Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer had authorized the United States to carry out "defensive" actions against Iranian missile facilities from two British bases, including Fairford.
The incident comes amid growing concern over other countries' activities on British soil. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accused Iran and Russia of using third parties to carry out criminal activities in the United Kingdom.
Over 300 drone attacks on British military facilities
According to data published in mid-September by the newspaper The Independent, British military facilities have been the target of drone attacks on more than 300 occasions over the past 12 months.
The British Ministry of Defense has not provided information on the origin of these drones, but these incidents come at a time when European countries are reporting an increase in Russian hybrid attacks on their territories.
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