Suspicion of terrorism: Five arrests near British air base

There are suspicions of terrorism against five men who were arrested outside the British military base RAF Fairford, used by the US Air Force, according to the PA news agency. They are therefore suspected of preparing a terrorist attack. The men are also being investigated on suspicion of violating the Explosives Act.

They were arrested after police noticed three suspicious vehicles heading towards the air base on Sunday night.

The background to the incident is not yet known. “We are at an early stage of the investigation,” a spokeswoman for Britain’s counter-terrorism police said, according to PA. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will be continuously informed about the situation. Residents from around 85 households near the air base in Gloucestershire were forced to leave their homes.

It was only in March that the US armed forces moved long-range bombers to the RAF base in Fairford. The Ministry of Defense in London had confirmed that the USA was using British bases for “specific defense operations” in the Iran war. US use was hotly debated at the start of the war.