FAIRFORD, England — Five British men arrested on explosives and terror charges near a U.S.-operated air force base in England were released on bail on Monday, and counterterror detectives said they were investigating “multiple lines of inquiry,” including whether there is a link to Iran.
The men were detained early Sunday after three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford, a U.K.-owned base that has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East.
Investigators haven’t concluded whether the incident was state-backed. They are investigating a possible link to Iran, Russia or non-state-backed militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.
The suspects, who haven’t been named, were initially held over suspected explosives offenses and later also arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Police said that the men are all British nationals from London and in their 20s.
The head of U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said that the suspects face stringent bail conditions and “absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry.”
Iran denied involvement. The Iranian Embassy in London said that it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” about the incident.
Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans. The villagers hadn’t been able to go home as of Monday morning, and the vans hadn’t been moved yet.
President Donald Trump said the suspects had been detained following cooperation between the U.S. and Britain and had been “under view” for some time. Police, however, said the arrests were triggered by a late-night call about “suspicious vehicles” near the base.
U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting declined to give details of the operation. “As and when we can, we will report back to the public about these individuals and about the nature of the threat,” Streeting told Times Radio.
The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states, with British intelligence services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil.
Iran has said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.
British security officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arson and sabotage attempts in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community. They have warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.
The U.S. Air Force said that its personnel based at RAF Fairford “remain vigilant,” but “for operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.”
Trump said that authorities had the suspects “under view for a long time and we got them.”
“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,” he told reporters in Chicago on Sunday.
The post 5 men arrested near a US-run air base in England will be released on bail, U.K. police say appeared first on MS NOW.
