British authorities arrested five men near a military base hosting U.S. forces early Sunday on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack.
RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire in southwestern England, serves as a forward operating location for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and has recently been used to launch B-52 and B-1 bombers targeting Iran.
President Donald Trump praised the arrests while speaking to reporters Sunday and said the United States had worked with British authorities on the case. “The arrest in the UK was fantastic,” he said. “Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation.” Trump said the suspects were “looking to do big damage” and that the group had been under watch “for a long time.”
Police were alerted around 12:45 a.m. to three suspicious vehicles apparently bound for the base, according to a Metropolitan Police statement. Armed officers responded and detained five men in the nearby village of Whelford on suspicion of explosives offenses, then rearrested them on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.
Authorities evacuated about 85 households as a precaution and established a 400-meter cordon around the vehicles while Army bomb disposal specialists were examining them. A nearby recreation center opened to accommodate displaced residents. “We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, Counter Terrorism Policing’s senior national coordinator.
“We continue to work with Gloucestershire Police to keep the community safe as we work to gather evidence from the scene,” Evans added. Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said emergency services had established plans for responding to major incidents.
“A cordon is in place as a precaution and the public can expect to see an emergency services presence in the area for some time,” he said.
A spokesperson for the United States European Command told the Daily Wire, “We are working closely with our UK counterparts to monitor this situation, minimize impacts and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families, and the local community.”
The spokesperson added that the command would not discuss its security posture:
“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures. U.S. European Command remains vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families across the European theater. 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 New York Post reported that the five suspects were stripped down after officers suspected they might be wearing suicide vests. The Telegraph reported that authorities are investigating whether there is a link to the Iranian regime. In August, Iran threatened to attack U.S. air bases in Europe if President Donald Trump escalated the war. “Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe, too,” said a source close to the Iranian regime.
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