One of Five Arrested Near RAF Fairford Called 999 Himself, BBC Understands
One of the five men arrested near RAF Fairford early Sunday had called 999 himself, the BBC understands, a detail that has added to the unusual sequence of events around a major security alert at the US-operated base in Gloucestershire.
The suspect contacted police at 12:45 a.m. BST, almost an hour before a female farmer also dialed 999 after spotting men in balaclavas. The five men were arrested on suspicion of explosives offenses and later terrorism offenses after three vans were seen in the area, triggering a large-scale response.
They were released on bail on Monday in what police called an investigative decision 'grounded in experience and strategy.' Police said searches of the vans found a quantity of gasoline but no explosive devices.
Police were alerted to 'three suspicious vehicles' in Whelford, a village directly east of RAF Fairford, by the farmer. She told the BBC it was 'pure luck' that she had seen them, saying she arrived home to find the road blocked and a 'large group of hooded and masked men.'
'I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had,' she said.
A bomb disposal team arrived shortly afterward, and a 400-meter (1,312-foot) cordon was put in place. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters Tuesday that the police response that morning had been based on 'a range of information.'
Police cordons near the base are expected to be fully lifted on Wednesday. Residents from 85 homes evacuated on Sunday have been allowed to return to their properties.
The five men are all UK nationals aged 23 to 25. Four live in Westminster and one in Camden, and police said searches of their homes are complete.
Taylor previously said their bail was 'subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others' while they remain under investigation. On Tuesday, he defended the decision. 'The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision-making, and this was certainly the case yesterday,' he said. 'I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision and one which is grounded in experience and strategy.'
RAF Fairford has been used as a forward operating location by the US Air Force for decades. In recent months, US bombers have taken off from the base for the Middle East after the UK approved a US request to use it for defensive strikes on Iran, giving the incident a sensitive geopolitical backdrop.
US President Donald Trump told journalists Tuesday he was 'disappointed' that the five men had been released on bail.
Taylor has said officers are exploring 'multiple lines of inquiry,' including whether proxies or individuals knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state were involved. In an update Tuesday, he added that the incident had been worrying for many people, with that anxiety 'heightened by the international commentary that we are seeing'—an apparent reference to comments from the US administration.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra meeting Monday afternoon and urged people 'not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts.'
In July, Iran said 'any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces.' However, the Iranian embassy in London said it 'categorically rejects and strongly condemns' what it called 'unfounded and malicious speculations' linking Iran to the latest incident.
Source: BBC