British Fairford base: What is its importance and what do we know about the accident?

British Fairford base: What is its importance and what do we know about the accident?

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British counter-terrorism police continue to investigate an incident near Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, after three vehicles were spotted and five men were arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.

The five men were later released on bail, while police said they were considering several areas of investigation, including the possibility of a connection to a foreign country.

The issue receives special attention because the US Air Force has used the Fairford base for decades, and in recent months it has been used as a launching point for US operations against Iran.

What happened near the base?

Gloucestershire Police said they received a report at 00:45 local time early Sunday morning about three suspicious vehicles heading towards Fairford Air Force Base.

Police later arrested five men near the village of Wilford, located directly east of the base.

An explosives handling unit was also deployed to examine a number of vehicles, and a 400-meter security cordon was established around the site.

Aerial photos showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two white trucks parked in a wooded area, but police did not confirm the use of the robot.

Counter-terrorism police said that the three vehicles underwent extensive examinations with the help of military experts and forensic specialists.

Who are the detainees?

Counter-terrorism police said the five men were British citizens aged between 23 and 25, all from London.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, and then also arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

They were later released on bail, with investigations continuing and what police described as severe restrictions on their movement and contacts with others.

The police did not reveal their names.

What are the police investigating?

Counter-terrorism police chief Lawrence Taylor said investigators were examining several avenues, including the possibility that the activity was carried out by agents or individuals working, knowingly or unknowingly, on behalf of a foreign state.

Taylor did not specify a specific country, and the police have not yet announced a final conclusion about who might be behind the accident.

It is understood from the information received that the security operation was not initiated based on prior intelligence information.

What do we know about compounds?

The BBC verified photos showing three white trucks near the base.

One of the vehicles showed a red logo bearing the name “Fuel to You” and a mobile phone number.

The BBC Verification Unit said it had found no evidence that Fuel2U was a licensed company operating in Britain or a genuine brand.

I also contacted another company, Fuel2U, with a similar name, which delivers diesel fuel throughout Britain, and a spokesman for it said that the vehicles had nothing to do with the company, and that its logo, phone number, and brand were different from those shown in the pictures.

How were the compounds discovered?

A Welford resident told the BBC she noticed the vehicles when she returned home and found her entrance and road blocked.

She added that she saw a large group of masked men, and said that some of them ran towards the fields and some towards the neighboring village of Kempsford when they saw her.

The woman said she called the Ministry of Defense police at the Fairford base and did not receive a response, before calling the emergency services at 01:36.

She added that the armed police arrived in the village within about ten minutes.

The woman said she believed her 911 call foiled what the men were planning, but that was her account and an estimate of what happened, and police have not confirmed that conclusion.

Why is Fairford's rule important?

The Fairford base is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles, or 6.4 kilometers, south of the town of Fairford.

The base has a long history of hosting American forces, and the US Air Force has used it for decades as a forward operations site.

The US Strategic Air Command used the base during the Cold War, as well as in the 1991 Gulf War.

In 2003, the US Air Force used the base to launch B-52 bombers in raids on Iraq.

The base was used on March 1 following a decision by the British government to allow the United States to use British bases, including Fairford, to carry out what the government described as defensive strikes against Iranian capabilities.

Feedback

US President Donald Trump said he was surprised that the five men were released on bail.

He added that the United States would not have released them if they were in its custody, and said that Britain had worked closely with the United States on the issue.

Trump also said that those arrested intended to cause great harm.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said in an interview with Fox News that the incident, in his estimation, involved the intervention of a foreign party.

Rubio did not provide additional evidence or details to support this conclusion.

He said that what happened, or what could have happened, in Britain over the weekend represents a dangerous situation, and added that more information may emerge in the coming days.

Rubio also spoke about Iran in a broader context, saying that the United States faces parties in the world, including Iran, that have previously threatened American interests globally.

For its part, the Iranian embassy in London said that it categorically rejects and condemns what it described as speculation linking Iran to the incident.

The embassy considered these speculations unfounded, and said they contributed to fueling what it described as anti-Iranian propaganda in Britain.

Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said it was not the time to speculate about a possible Iranian role.

What happened to the residents?

Airspace restrictions were also imposed within a five-mile radius around the base, prohibiting flying into the area without permission.

Police said that a number of residents were awakened in the early hours of Sunday morning and asked to leave their homes immediately.