Five men arrested in RAF Fairford incident released on police bail
Five men bailed as investigation continues near RAF Fairford
Constantvpn.com – Five British men detained after a security incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire are being released on police bail while a counter-terrorism investigation continues. The case prompted a major emergency response, the evacuation of dozens of homes and continuing restrictions around the military base.
The men, all from London and aged between 23 and 25, were first arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. They were later arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Counter Terrorism Policing said the investigation remains active and that their bail includes strict limits on where they can go and whom they may contact.
Police said three of the men live in Westminster, while the other two are from Camden and Willesden.
Three vehicles examined
Concern was raised in the early hours of Sunday after three white vans were seen in Whelford, a village immediately east of RAF Fairford. The vehicles have since undergone extensive examination involving military support and forensic specialists.
A wide police cordon remains in force around the vans, even though 85 households evacuated on Sunday have now been allowed to return. Gloucestershire Police said the restrictions are still necessary as work at the scene continues.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing, said investigators were considering every possible explanation for what happened. That includes whether the activity could have involved proxies, or people acting knowingly or unknowingly for a foreign state.
“This may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”
The inquiry has not publicly established a motive or set out any alleged plot. The reference to possible foreign-state involvement reflects one of several lines being examined rather than a conclusion about responsibility.
Emergency call triggered rapid response
A local farmer said her call to emergency services may have interrupted whatever was taking place. She had returned home to find access to her driveway and the road obstructed, then noticed a group of people wearing hoods and masks.
The woman, who asked not to be identified, said some of the group ran into a field while others headed towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford after seeing her arrive. She initially tried to contact Ministry of Defence Police at RAF Fairford, but said she did not receive an answer.
She then called 999 at 01:36 BST. Armed officers arrived in the village within about 10 minutes, she said.
“I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had.”
The episode has placed a normally quiet rural area at the centre of an international security investigation. Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said the previous 48 hours had brought exceptional attention to communities unused to such scrutiny.
“Our usually quiet and peaceful communities [were] under the spotlight of the international media.”
International attention around the base
RAF Fairford has long served as a forward operating location for the US Air Force. Its strategic role has become more prominent in recent months, with US bombers flying from the Gloucestershire site towards the Middle East after the UK authorised a US request to use the base for defensive strikes on Iran.
In July, Iran said that any base used in aggression against Iranian territory would be considered a legitimate target for its forces. Against that backdrop, officials have urged caution while investigators establish the facts of the Fairford incident.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon and called on the public not to speculate while the authorities complete their work.
The Iranian embassy in London rejected claims connecting Iran with the incident, describing such suggestions as unfounded and malicious. It said speculation of that kind would only fuel Iranophobia in the UK, and stated that Iran reserved the right to pursue legal action where necessary over what it described as misleading and damaging media narratives.
US President Donald Trump also commented on the bail decision during remarks in the Oval Office. He said the five men would not have been released if the decision had been his, adding that the UK and US had worked closely together on the matter.
“We know everything about them, we would not have released them.”
Airspace controls remain in effect
Alongside the ground cordon, airspace restrictions have been introduced above RAF Fairford. No aircraft may enter the five-mile, or 8km, area around the base without permission.
The restrictions also cover objects and activities capable of entering the controlled airspace. Balloons, kites, parachutes and paragliders are among the items or activities prohibited within the zone.
For residents, the partial lifting of the evacuation order offers some immediate relief, but the continuing cordon and flight limits show that the response is not yet over. The investigation will now focus on the three vehicles, the circumstances surrounding their presence in Whelford and the wider questions raised by counter-terrorism officers.
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