Five arrested near UK airbase released on bail as terrorism probe continues

LONDON, Sept 28: Five men arrested near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire have been released on police bail as British counterterrorism officers continue investigating a security incident near the military base.

Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said the men were released following “extensive interviews and inquiries” but stressed that they “absolutely remain under investigation” and are subject to “stringent conditions” governing their movements and contact with others.

The men were initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and were later arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, Taylor said. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrests.

The three vehicles in which the men had been travelling have undergone “extensive examination” with assistance from military and forensic experts, according to Taylor. A 400-metre cordon remained in place outside Whelford, a village near RAF Fairford, while a significant police presence was maintained at the airbase’s main entrance.

Taylor said police hoped to reduce their presence at the scene later Monday and allow residents to return to their homes.

The investigation comes amid heightened security around RAF Fairford, which has supported US military operations against Iran since February. Britain said in July that its armed forces were prepared to defend the country against any attack after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned against allowing US bombers to operate from the base.

Taylor said police were keeping an “open mind” over whether the wider geopolitical situation was relevant to the investigation.

“We are considering this from every angle,” he said, including whether the incident was “committed by proxies or individuals… working on behalf of a foreign state.”

Earlier, Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said British military bases at home and overseas could be potential targets for state-backed actors and terrorists. He declined to provide details about the operation, saying this could give Britain’s adversaries “valuable insight.”

Streeting also said it would be “unwise” to comment on the motivations or backgrounds of the men arrested.

Iran has rejected any suggestion of involvement. In a statement, the Iranian Embassy in London “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called “unfounded and malicious speculations” by British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to the arrest of the five suspects near RAF Fairford.