5 men arrested near U.K. air base used by U.S. released on bail

British counterterrorism police were leading an investigation Monday after five men were arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act in an English village near a Royal Air Force base used by U.S. bombers.

The Metropolitan Police said officers received a call around 12:45 a.m. local time on Sunday about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, about 85 miles west of London in southwest England. Armed officers responded and five men were arrested near the village of Whelford on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act. They were later arrested on further suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.

“We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” Vicki Evans, the deputy assistant police commissioner and national coordinator for counterterrorism policing in the U.K., said in a statement. “As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”

Evans said around 85 households were evacuated as a precaution. A bomb disposal team was on site examining some vehicles in the Whelford area, and the homes remained evacuated on Monday morning.

“Specially trained CTP (Counter Terror Policing) investigators have been examining the scene overnight and have been carrying out a range of activity, which have led to multiple new lines of enquiry,” the police said in a statement Monday. “The nature of this investigation means significant numbers of resources, including military assets, remain deployed at the location, and we thank the public for their ongoing support. We are working hard to minimize disruption to local communities, but ask for their patience, as our work continues at the scene.”

The five men detained Sunday morning were all British nationals between the ages of 23 and 25 with home addresses in the London area, the police said, adding that their pre-charge detention had been extended at least until later on Monday.

“At this time, we are working to establish the full circumstances of the activity of those arrested, their knowledge and any motivation behind this incident,” the British Counter Terror Policing unit said in its statement.

The town of Whelford is close to RAF Fairford, about 100 miles west of London, and is one of several bases in Britain that have been used by the U.S. Air Force under an agreement dating from the 1950s.

After the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the U.K. government allowed the U.S. military to use the Fairford base and other key British facilities under an agreement that permitted operations deemed strictly defensive against Iran, including strikes on Iranian missile sites as the Islamic Republic launched rockets at commercial vessels and Persian Gulf states. Iranian authorities have warned that any base used to attack its territory anywhere would be considered a legitimate target.

The Associated Press reported that British authorities are investigating a link between Iran and the arrests in Fairford as a possibility, but that as of Monday there had been no conclusions reached about whether the apparent plot against the air base could have been state-backed.

In a statement shared Monday on social media, the Iranian Embassy in London said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran” to the five arrests near the Fairford base. 

President Trump told reporters Sunday during a trip to Chicago that the detained men “were looking to do big damage to our port.” He said U.S. authorities worked with U.K. police on the arrest and said that “we had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”

Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said his department’s emergency services have well-rehearsed plans to deal with major incidents like this, and the public should expect to see a police presence in the area for some time.

“We’d like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support,” said Ocone. “We appreciate the disruption this will have caused and would like to reassure them we are working as quickly as we can to get them back in their properties.”

One evacuated resident told the BBC, CBS News’ international partner, that three “unusual vans” appeared in the area near the Fairford air base overnight. 

Speaking to the BBC, Julian Tubsbery, who was evacuated from his home in the early hours of Sunday, said that “there were these three vans that arrived in the middle of the village and a resident reported them to the police straight away.”

Helicopter video aired by BBC News showed a wheeled robot operating near three parked white vans near the air base, but police did not immediately confirm which vehicles were being examined in connection with the incident.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said personnel based at RAF Fairford “remain vigilant,” but they would not discuss specific force protection measures for security reasons.

“We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families,” the spokesperson said.

The U.S. military’s European Command said it would not discuss specific force protection measures, but added it would “take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families across the European theater.”

The U.S. Embassy in London warned Americans to be cautious and mindful of their personal security.

Security measures have been significantly increased in recent days at the air base, according to an eyewitness quoted by the Reuters news agency, who said there had been more roadblocks and armed police preventing access.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people on Sunday not to speculate after the arrests, saying that the “safety and security of the public” is his government’s “first priority.”

“I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe,” Burnham wrote on social media. “The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.”