Five released on bail after arrests near UK airbase as Rubio cites possible foreign involvement
British police are investigating whether people acting for a foreign state were involved in an incident near RAF Fairford, a base used by US forces to strike Iran.
Fairford, United Kingdom. Five men arrested near RAF Fairford on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences were released on bail on Monday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor,” but provided no evidence or specific details.
Arrests and investigation
British police declared a major incident at the airbase in western England after the arrests early on Sunday, and the government held a national emergency meeting. Police said the investigation was continuing and they were examining whether individuals acting for a foreign state were involved.
The five men, all British nationals in their early 20s from London, were detained after a local farmer alerted police to three large white vans parked near the base. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that the vans, in which the men appeared to have travelled, did not contain viable explosives.
The source said the police response on Sunday had not been intelligence-led, indicating that the five men had not been under direct surveillance. Security at the base had nevertheless been increased, suggesting there was information it was being targeted.
US comments and base security
RAF Fairford is used by US forces to strike Iran. Speaking on Fox News’s “Hannity” program late on Monday, Rubio called what happened, or could have happened, over the weekend “a very serious situation” and said it involved a foreign actor.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the incident “might be” connected to Iran, with which the United States has been at war since late February. He said he would not have released the suspects on bail.
Local residents said security at the base had increased significantly in the days before Sunday. The farmer who alerted police said a neighbour driving past the base on Saturday night had been ordered by US security personnel to stop and put their hands out of their car.
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →