What do we know about the counter-terrorism investigation linked to Britain's Fairford Air Force Base?
Author, Emily Atkinson
Published 5 minutes ago
Reading time: 4 minutes
Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences, after a “major incident” was declared at an airbase in western England.
Bomb disposal teams were examining a number of vehicles near the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, while dozens of homes in the surrounding area were evacuated.
Here's a summary of what we know so far.
Where is RAF Fairford located?
RAF Fairford is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4 km) south of the town of Fairford on the River Colne.
The base has a long historical relationship with the US military, and US warplanes have recently used it as a launching pad for defensive strikes on Iran.
What happened?
Gloucestershire Police said they received a report of “three suspicious vehicles” heading towards RAF Fairford, at 00:45 BST on Sunday.
Its officers later arrested five men near Welford, a village located about two miles (3.2 kilometers) southeast of the base.
The police said that an explosive disposal team was also sent to the village to examine a number of vehicles, around which a 400-meter (1,312-foot) security cordon was imposed.
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Aerial photos showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two white pickup trucks parked in a wooded area, but police did not confirm its use.
Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the incident. The BBC learned that the operation was not based on intelligence information.
The US military said it was "working closely" with its British counterparts "to monitor this situation, mitigate its repercussions, and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families, and the local community."
The area has witnessed a heavy deployment of emergency teams since the early hours of Sunday, which Gloucestershire's interim police chief, Maggie Blyth, said will continue during the next few days.
Blythe said, in a press conference on Sunday evening, that the police will continue to assist counter-terrorism police and coordinate with other partners at the national level.
She added that she would leave it to the anti-terrorism police to make any decision to declare the incident a “terrorist incident.”
Who are the suspects?
Five men were initially detained on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.
They were then re-arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
The names of the men, who remain in detention, have not been revealed. The police did not announce where they were being held.
Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without being charged, compared to a maximum of 24 hours in ordinary cases of detention without a request for an extension of detention.
Asked if police were looking for other people connected to the incident, Blythe said she believed the matter was "under control."
US President Donald Trump said that those arrested were "trying to cause serious harm," adding: "We have been monitoring them for a long time, and we have arrested them."
BBC Your Voice has received a photo said to show the moment five men were arrested.
The photo showed men being detained at Welford, about 350 meters (1,148 feet) from the runway entrance at emergency gate 6A at RAF Fairford.
The BBC was unable to verify the original source of the image, but the BBC Fact-Finding team located it geographically and confirmed that it appears to be authentic.
How many homes were evacuated?
Gloucestershire Police said evacuated residents were told they would not be able to return to their homes on Sunday night.
Cotswold District Council will provide accommodation for those affected who cannot stay with family and friends, according to the council's deputy chief executive, David Stanley.
85 families were evacuated following the incident, and their members were urged to take refuge in a nearby entertainment centre.
A number of people told the BBC that the police woke them up in the early hours of Sunday and ordered them to leave.
One resident, who identified herself only as Jo, said: “We had no choice but to quickly get dressed and come. We didn’t know anything.”
Another resident, Jason, said: “Everything happened so fast. We packed our things and came here.”
A number of people in the leisure center were still wearing their pajamas, according to a BBC correspondent present there.
What did the eyewitnesses say?
An area resident told the BBC that she reported suspicious activity near the base to police early on Sunday.
The woman, who did not want to reveal her name, said that she first called the Ministry of Defense police, but no one answered, then she called the emergency number 999. She added that she saw three parked minivans and a group of men wearing masks.
The Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
Another resident described the moment he said he saw police arrest the suspects.
Jeff told the BBC that he heard "shouting outside his front door", but was not sure where it came from.
He added that he then looked out his window and saw “people being detained by the police outside.”
What did the British government say?
What are the uses of RAF Fairford Base?
The US Air Force has been using RAF Fairford as a forward operating location for decades.
Its most recent use was on March 1, following the decision of former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to allow the United States to use British bases, including Fairford, to launch “defensive” strikes targeting Iranian capabilities.
The conflict erupted across the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on February 28.
