Five terrorism suspects arrested near RAF Fairford in UK, Trump confirms probe

British police arrested five men near the US-used RAF Fairford air base on suspicion of terrorism. Trump said the suspects had been under investigation in a joint US-UK operation.

Five men held near RAF Fairford in suspected terrorism plot targeting US base

British police arrested five men early Sunday on suspicion of terrorism near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwestern England, axios.com reports. The air base is a key forward operating location for the U.S. Air Force in Europe.

President Trump confirmed the arrests Sunday morning, telling reporters that the suspects had been under active investigation. "We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great and we got them," Trump said.

Police received a call at around 12.45 a.m. local time concerning three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be heading towards the base, according to a Metropolitan Police statement. The base is home to the U.S. 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron. Officials declared a major incident and erected roadblocks in the area overnight.

UK counter-terrorism official Vicki Evans said officers established a 400-metre cordon around the vehicles while the British Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit carried out examinations of the scene.

RAF Fairford serves as the U.S. Air Force's preferred bomber forward operating location in Europe and supports a range of missions and exercises year-round. In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any base used for attacks on Iranian territory would be considered a "legitimate target" — a statement that specifically named U.S. B-1 bombers operating from RAF Fairford.

The 501st Combat Support Wing told axios.com that no U.S. Air Force personnel were involved in the incident.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)