NewzUK police say RAF Fairford suspects now released on bail British police said on Monday that five men arrested near RAF Fairford, an airbase in Gloucestershire, southwest England, used by the United States, had been released on bail, as officers probed whether a "foreign state" could be involved in a suspected bomb plot targeting it. The release of the five - all London-based Britons in their mid-20s - came as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced an emergency meeting of top officials to ensure they have "the full picture". Earlier, Iran had denied involvement in any plot to target the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base, following the security scare there early Sunday.
Head of UK counter-terrorism policing Laurence Taylor said investigators are keeping an open mind as to any motivation. FAIRFORD, England (AP) — Five young 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 five 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.The arrests came after reports of suspicious vehiclesU.S. 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, but said that “it was a proud moment” that Trump had recognized “the work that our police and intelligence services do every day.”“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 intel…
The suspects are all British nationals aged in their 20s and from London
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