Five arrested in U.K. on suspicion of preparing terrorist act near air base used by U.S. military

Open this photo in gallery:Emergency services at the scene of an incident close to RAF Fairford in Whelford, England on Sunday.Ben Birchall/The Associated PressU.K. police say that five men arrested near a U.S. air base are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.The Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said in a statement Sunday that the men were initially arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner, said a 400-meter cordon has been put in place around the three vehicles that raised suspicion while the army conducts examinations. As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place.Fairford has been used by American forces for strictly limited strikes during the war with Iran. After the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the U.K. government allowed the American military to use the Fairford base to strike Iranian missile sites. Iran has said bombers flying from the base have been used for strikes beyond the original remit.A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said U.S. and British personnel “remain vigilant” and will take appropriate actions to ensure safety of all those at the base.“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the spokesperson said. “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 arrests come at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states to the U.K., with Russia and Iran among those that have used proxies to commit crimes on their behalf on British soil. In March, officials said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states including Iran increased 50 per cent in the six months to December, 2025.Residents in a number of properties in Whelford, which backs onto the air base, have been taken to a nearby leisure centre. Julian Tudsbery, who has lived in Whelford for 30 years, said a resident had reported three “suspicious vans” in the village in the early hours of Sunday morning.“There were several police, three police cars in the drive, and they said you need to evacuate, there’s been a major incident, said he couldn’t elaborate,” he said.Britain’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked the emergency and specialist teams who responded to the incident. “We can be reassured that this is being dealt with,” he said.Prime Minister Andy Burnham is receiving updates on the situation, his office said.