British police arrest five people near Fairford Air Base after a 'major incident'

British police announced the arrest of five people in connection with the “major incident” in the village of Welford, near the British Royal Air Force’s Fairford base, which hosts US Air Force forces, at a time when US President Donald Trump confirmed that they were planning to cause “serious damage.”

This follows the arrest of several men on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act. British counter-terrorism police were tasked with conducting an investigation into the incident.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmoud stated that the emergency teams dealing with the incident believe that the situation is now “under control.”

Police said that residents of a number of homes in the area were transferred to a nearby entertainment center. She added that a specialized team from the British Army dealing with ammunition and explosives was examining a number of vehicles, while the police imposed a security cordon around the area.

A British government spokesman said that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being informed of developments related to the incident, and said: “We express our gratitude to the emergency teams who moved quickly to arrest a number of suspects and take measures to ensure the safety of society.”

He added: "It is not appropriate to comment further at this time, given that the investigations are still ongoing."

Gloucestershire Police said: "A number of properties in the Welford area are currently being evacuated following a major incident declaration." The police said: “We are working closely with our partners, implementing pre-prepared plans that have undergone extensive training.”

The Fairford base has been used to deploy American bombers since the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28. In March of this year, after then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer authorized “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from British bases, four US bombers landed at RAF Fairford, and the US began using the British bases to carry out “specific defensive operations”.

A US Air Force spokesman said that its personnel stationed at RAF Fairford "exercise constant vigilance." “For operational security reasons, we will not discuss specific measures to protect forces,” the spokesman said. He added: "The 501st Combat Support Wing and our other wings based in the United Kingdom continue to remain vigilant and will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of American service members, civilians, contractors and their families."

For his part, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the men who were arrested near RAF Fairford Air Base were planning to cause “massive damage.” Trump said: “They were under surveillance and investigation; They were planning to cause serious damage to our base, and cooperation with the British side has yielded excellent results.” He added: “Maybe it was related to ‘Scotland Yard’. I am not completely sure, as we cooperated with many parties there. We kept them under surveillance for a long time, and we were able to catch them.” “It was amazing; Working with Britain was an amazing achievement,” Trump said.

In the same context, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people not to make speculation. He wrote on the “X” platform: “I realize that today’s incident near RAF Fairford Air Base will cause great concern to local residents and to many who are following developments across the country,” also expressing his thanks to the police for their response. He stressed that "the safety and security of people" represents the "top priority" of his government, adding: "I want people to know that we will always take all necessary steps to protect our communities and maintain the security of our country." He continued, saying: “The investigation is still ongoing, and I urge people not to speculate on matters while the authorities are working to uncover the full facts.”