‘Terror’ incident near RAF base used for Iran war: What we know

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At slightest 5 men were arrested connected Sunday greeting connected suspicion of the “preparation of a violent act” adjacent a British Royal Air Force (RAF) basal successful confederate England.

Armed officers arrested the radical of men aft calls from residents to exigency services reported 3 “suspicious vehicles which appeared to beryllium travelling towards the aerial base”, London’s Metropolitan Police said successful a statement.

What is RAF Fairford?

Based successful Gloucestershire, RAF Fairford is simply a British subject basal that hosts the United States Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing.

It is 1 of 12 UK bases, including RAF Lakenheath, which hosts the largest US unit radical successful the UK and RAF Mildenhall, which supports refuelling and planetary operations.

The Fairford basal was besides utilized by US forces during their attacks connected Iran amid the ongoing conflict, during which they deployed B-1 and B-2 bombers.

In March, then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted support for “defensive” US enactment against Iranian rocket sites from 2 UK bases, including Fairford and Diego Garcia, successful the British Indian Ocean Territory.

What happened?

On Sunday, Gloucestershire constabulary said they received a telephone astir “three suspicious vehicles” travelling towards the basal astatine 00:45 section clip (23:45 GMT connected Saturday).

Broadcast aerial footage showed a weaponry disposal robot moving astir the vans, 2 of which had their rear doors open.

Police believed the incidental had been “contained” and enactment a 400-metre (1,300-foot) cordon successful place.

A nonmigratory who called 999 told BBC Radio 4 connected information of anonymity that she arrived location successful the adjacent colony of Whelford to find the driveway blocked and saw a “large radical of hooded and masked men”.

“When they saw me, they ran up of maine – immoderate into the tract and immoderate towards the neighbouring colony of Kempsford. I past realised that thing highly antithetic was taking place,” she added.

The pistillate told the BBC that she called the Ministry of Defence constabulary astatine the airbase, but determination was nary answer; aft calling 999 astatine 01:36 BST (00:36 GMT), she said, “within 10 minutes the colony was afloat of equipped police”.

“I americium perfectly staggered that it was near to maine arsenic a subordinate of the nationalist to spot and study this,” she said.

About 85 households successful the adjacent colony of Whelford were advised to evacuate. Those residents besides spoke of “heightened tensions” successful the country successful caller weeks with predominant constabulary patrols.

What bash we cognize astir those arrested?

Not overmuch is known astir the 5 men arrested successful the incident.

Gloucestershire constabulary said they initially arrested the men connected suspicion of offences nether the Explosives Act.

But they were subsequently arrested connected suspicion of the “preparation of a violent act”, the Metropolitan Police announced.

The men presently stay successful custody, and constabulary person not disclosed wherever they are being kept.

When asked whether constabulary were looking for much suspects successful transportation with the incident, Maggie Blyth, the impermanent main constable of Gloucestershire police, said she believed it was “contained”.

US President Donald Trump said connected Sunday that the suspects were “looking to bash large damage” astatine the airbase.

“We had them nether presumption for a agelong time, and we got them,” helium said, adding the US and the UK had been moving unneurotic connected the incident.

Rob Geist Pinfold, an planetary information lecturer astatine King’s College London, explained that nether British instrumentality the individuality of the men would not beryllium disclosed unless they were charged.

“We don’t cognize thing astir whether they’re British nationals, whether they’re overseas nationals, for example. And we besides don’t cognize what was successful those vans,” Pinfold told Al Jazeera.

“Trump’s connection determination suggests these men were nether probe arsenic well. So, we don’t cognize however overmuch of this is simply a subordinate of the nationalist spotting thing suspicious that sounds beauteous inept oregon whether this is immoderate benignant of well-planned and poorly executed effort to origin harm astatine Fairford,” helium added.

Is Iran linked to the incident?

It remains unclear whether the suspects are connected to Iran.

Tehran has antecedently said it would people US subject bases that had launched attacks connected Iran.

Since February 28, erstwhile the US and Israel archetypal launched their strikes connected Iran, Tehran has targeted aggregate subject bases successful the Gulf and the broader Middle East, including those successful Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

In aboriginal March, a loitering munition besides struck an RAF basal successful Cyprus, wherever authorities claimed Iranian drones aimed astatine the basal were besides intercepted.

Defence Minister Wes Streeting said connected Sunday that helium had been successful interaction with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the UK was “working intimately with our American friends”.

When asked whether Iran was involved, helium said it would beryllium “irresponsible to speculate”.

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