UK police arrest five men on suspicion of terror offenses near air base used by US forces
CNN
By Tim Lister and Nic Robertson CNN
(CNN) — UK police arrested five men close to an airbase in England that is used by US long-range bombers on suspicion of terror and explosives offenses.
Army bomb disposal units are at the scene while dozens of houses nearby have been evacuated as a precaution with the investigation ongoing.
The arrests were made after information was received from residents in the area soon after midnight, according to Richard Ocone, a senior detective in the county of Gloucestershire. The men have not been identified and no clue has been given about a possible motive.
A senior officer in Counter Terrorism Policing, Vicki Evans, confirmed: “We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody. As you would expect we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
On top of the suspected explosives offenses, the men were “further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act,” according to counter-terrorism police. Counter-terrorism laws allow UK police to hold suspects for up to 14 days before they are charged.
Aerial footage appears to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white vans in woods near the base. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered around.
The Daily Mail published video purporting to show several individuals under arrest at the scene in the early hours of Sunday, local time. They appear to be shirtless with their arms behind their backs.
A local resident told CNN that she heard helicopters over the village at 2am, and bomb squad vehicles arrived about an hour later.
Whelford is close to the Royal Air Force base at Fairford which has been used by US B-1 bombers involved in targeting Iran and is a forward operating location for US Global Strike Command, which is tasked with managing long-distance strikes.
A US air force spokesperson at Fairford – where the 501st Combat Support Wing is based – told CNN: “For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures.”
The unit “remains vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,” the spokesperson said.
PM being kept informed
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the incident, according to a government spokesperson.
“We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe,” the spokesperson said.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing.”
“We can be reassured that this is being dealt with, and it is exactly why our emergency response teams and Armed Forces are on standby 24/7,” said UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting.
One local resident, who asked not to be identified, told PA Media that there had been heightened security precautions around the base in recent weeks.
“They have put heavy, very heavy, vehicles across all gates… very big tractors and things like that,” the resident said.
Another resident told CNN that it seemed the base had been on lockdown recently. “It’s been like a ghost town all week,” they said.
In March, the UK government gave the US air force permission to use Fairford to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Months later, the UK said its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a warning over allowing US bombers to fly from UK bases.
“Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad. The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself,” a government spokesperson said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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