Five men arrested over a suspected terror plot at RAF Fairford are British nationals from London, Counter Terrorism Policing has said, as searches continue around the Gloucestershire airbase.
The suspects, aged between 23 and 25, were detained near the base in the early hours of Sunday after armed officers responded to reports of suspicious activity. They were initially arrested under the Explosives Act before being detained on terrorism charges.
Three of the men are from Westminster, one is from Camden and another is from Willesden. They remain in custody and can be questioned for up to 14 days under anti-terrorism laws.
A cordon remains in place around RAF Fairford, while overnight searches generated “multiple new lines of enquiry”, police said.
The operation began after a local farmer encountered three white vans blocking a road close to the base. She said a group of hooded and masked men scattered into nearby fields and woodland when they saw her vehicle.
She called 999 at 1.36am and sent a warning to a village WhatsApp group. Armed counter-terrorism officers arrived soon afterwards and five men were arrested.
Police later evacuated about 85 homes in the village of Whelford, taking residents to Cirencester Leisure Centre while the vans were examined. A 400-metre cordon was placed around the vehicles, one of which appeared to be marked “FUEL 2YOU”.
The farmer said she had first tried to contact Ministry of Defence police, but the phone rang unanswered. She criticised the lack of follow-up from officers and said she had seen more people fleeing than the five men who were arrested.
“I know it’s been said by some of the higher ups today that I didn’t have the full picture, but the picture I had was three extremely unusual vehicles parked in the middle of our village and a group of unknown men running around,” she said.
“So, that’s my picture, I don’t know whether that’s the full picture or not.”
Investigation into suspected RAF Fairford plot
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation was a “hugely complex and large-scale operation” involving local and national police, the Ministry of Defence and other agencies.
“I know this has been incredibly disruptive for local people, but I’d like to reassure them that our activity is in the interests of national security and, most importantly, their own safety,” she said.
Ms Evans also urged people to avoid speculation about the suspects’ motives while the investigation continued.
“I am very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident and the geopolitical questions being raised,” she said. “However, I ask that Counter Terrorism Policing be given the space at this time to carry out its work carefully and thoroughly.”
There have been reports that the men may have been wearing explosive vests when they were detained. Images showed them shirtless and handcuffed, although police have not publicly confirmed that they were carrying explosives.
Counter-terrorism officers are investigating whether the alleged plot was linked to Iran. RAF Fairford has been used by the United States Air Force for operations against Iran and is less than a mile from the centre of Whelford.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the farmer’s actions but said she had only seen part of the wider operation.
“She has done exactly what we would hope that someone in that extraordinary situation would do, and I’m really grateful to her,” he said.
“I think she acted, by her own admission, quickly and thoughtfully, and she did the right thing. With respect, though, she does only have a partial picture, and that’s as far as I wish to go this morning.”
Mr Streeting declined to comment on why a Ministry of Defence security hotline had not been answered, citing the live investigation. He said Britain must not be “cowed by sabre-rattling from Iran” or allow Tehran to dictate foreign policy, while stressing that it was too early to attribute the suspects’ aims.
Suggestions that British authorities had advance warning of the alleged plot have been dismissed by Whitehall sources, who said the arrests were not pre-planned. US President Donald Trump nevertheless said the suspects had been under investigation and were “looking to do big damage” to US forces.
“We know all about them. You’ll be hearing about it very soon. We caught them,” Mr Trump said.
He added: “It was fantastic. Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great.”
Local residents described being woken by helicopters and armed officers before being told to leave their homes. One resident said police arrived at about 6.30am and calmly explained that there had been a serious incident.
The evacuation caused disruption in the village, with residents leaving in nightwear and pets being accommodated at the leisure centre. Police have indicated that they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.
