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Posted on 09/28/2026 8:11:44 AM PDT by Red Badger
British counterterrorism police said Monday that five men who were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act in an English village near a Royal Air Force base used by U.S. forces had been released on bail.
"Following extensive interviews and enquiries, the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon. To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over," Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the London Metropolitan Police's Counter Terror unit, told reporters Monday afternoon. "To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over. They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others. They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry."
He said investigators were considering all possible angles, including that the incident "may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state."
The police said officers received a call around 12:45 a.m. local time on Sunday about three suspicious vehicles traveling toward RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, about 85 miles west of London in southwest England. Armed officers responded and the five men were arrested near the village of Whelford on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act. They were later arrested on further suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
An image sent to BBC News and verified by the British network as likely authentic shows what the sender said were five men being taken into custody by police in the village of Whelford, England, less than half a mile from the RAF Fairford air base, which is used by U.S. forces, on the evening of Sept. 26, 2026, or early the following morning.
"As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident," Vicki Evans, the deputy assistant police commissioner and national coordinator for counter terrorism policing in the U.K., said in a statement Sunday.
Evans said around 85 households were evacuated as a precaution. A bomb disposal team was on site examining some vehicles in the Whelford area, and the homes remained evacuated on Monday morning.
There were no reports suggesting explosives had been discovered.
"Specially trained CTP (Counter Terror Policing) investigators have been examining the scene overnight and have been carrying out a range of activity, which have led to multiple new lines of enquiry," the police said in a statement Monday. "The nature of this investigation means significant numbers of resources, including military assets, remain deployed at the location, and we thank the public for their ongoing support. We are working hard to minimize disruption to local communities, but ask for their patience, as our work continues at the scene."
The five men detained Sunday morning were all British nationals between the ages of 23 and 25 with home addresses in the London area, the police said.
"At this time, we are working to establish the full circumstances of the activity of those arrested, their knowledge and any motivation behind this incident," the British Counter Terror Policing unit said a statement earlier Monday.
Whelford is close to RAF Fairford, about 100 miles west of London, and is one of several bases in Britain that have been used by the U.S. Air Force under an agreement dating from the 1950s.
After the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the U.K. government allowed the U.S. military to use the Fairford base and other key British facilities under an agreement that permitted operations deemed strictly defensive against Iran, including strikes on Iranian missile sites as the Islamic Republic launched rockets at commercial vessels and Persian Gulf states.
Iranian authorities have warned that any base used to attack its territory anywhere would be considered a legitimate target.
In a statement shared Monday on social media, the Iranian Embassy in London said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran" to the five arrests near the Fairford base.
President Trump told reporters Sunday during a trip to Chicago that the detained men "were looking to do big damage to our port." He said U.S. authorities worked with U.K. police on the arrest and said that "we had them under view for a long time, and we got them."
Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said his department's emergency services have well-rehearsed plans to deal with major incidents like this, and the public should expect to see a police presence in the area for some time.
"We'd like to thank the residents who have left their homes this morning for their understanding and support," said Ocone. "We appreciate the disruption this will have caused and would like to reassure them we are working as quickly as we can to get them back in their properties."
One evacuated resident told the BBC, CBS News' international partner, that three "unusual vans" appeared in the area near the Fairford air base overnight.
Speaking to the BBC, Julian Tubsbery, who was evacuated from his home in the early hours of Sunday, said that "there were these three vans that arrived in the middle of the village and a resident reported them to the police straight away."
Helicopter video aired by BBC News showed a wheeled robot operating near three parked white vans near the air base, but police did not immediately confirm which vehicles were being examined in connection with the incident.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force said personnel based at RAF Fairford "remain vigilant," but they would not discuss specific force protection measures for security reasons.
"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 spokesperson said.
The U.S. military's European Command said it would not discuss specific force protection measures, but added it would "take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families across the European theater."
The U.S. Embassy in London warned Americans to be cautious and mindful of their personal security.
Security measures have been significantly increased in recent days at the air base, according to an eyewitness quoted by the Reuters news agency, who said there had been more roadblocks and armed police preventing access.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged people on Sunday not to speculate after the arrests, saying the "safety and security of the public" is his government's "first priority."
"I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe," Burnham wrote on social media. "The investigation remains ongoing, and I would urge people not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Nothing to see here, move on.
Of course, if some Brit made a mean tweet, he’d be in the clinker for 2 years minimum.
5 British men, Achmed, Abdul, Ali, Mohammed and Mehdi.
I knew something smelled about this whole thing.
The woman who originally saw the three white vans and masked men said there were more of them than five.
Is this a British-style “Patriot Front” exercise?
The story linked below published by Dutch media has translation prompts...
https://nos.nl/artikel/2632859-
Unbelievable!!!
They were not trying to save the West, so naturally were permitted to re-enter British society.
If you see something patriotic, say something. Otherwise, you are racist.
British by what measure? Oh, they filed for refugee status and were called British just to pass the time? They have passports and that is all that is needed nowadays?
the present UK regime and Brussels are NOT American allies.
Do not pretend they are.
So the 5 arrested are free to go, but 85 households cannot return to their homes.
You just can’t make this 💩 up...lol..😩
It is a safe bet to say that the press is leaving out an important characteristic these "nationals" have in common. Because to say what that is would be a categorical offense in the UK.
Meanwhile an actual ‘British man’ has been denied bail for the horrible crime of cutting holes in an empty inflatable raft used by the invaders from France. (Also he declined to unlock his phone for the police).
It would be racist to jail a Muslim terrorist planning to blow up a base. But a white British patriot questioning policy? Toss him in the clink and throw away the key.
Um Hum. Resembling the allegedly Dark Complected "Chedder Man".
(Cheese Slide!)
Truth about Cheddar Man YouTube Short
summary; Western Hunter Gatherer Haploid. Most likely to be Brown eyed, intermediate skin toned, not quite as dark as depicted in the Tabloid Press.
"Most Likely to have Brown eyes, but Blue Possible." Skin Color was "Intermediate" "Most Important Genetic Data recovered is not clear." Cheddar Man was of course given the most Woke DEI possible characteristics designed to offend the white British Populations.
(Cheese slide over! (Chalky cheese....i like red leister cheese better!))
Some Elderly British Pensioner noticed them and turned them in, so this was not some situation recognized and addressed by British "Intellegence" agencies.
Posted On Telegram, TV Host goes off on the very Wimpy looking British Defense Minister
https://t.me/BennyJohnson/17718
"A British TV host just SNAPPED on air on the U.K. Government for ignoring clear links between mass immigration and terrorism.
“Let me teach you a thing or two in case you don’t get it yet. I would imagine that whatever has gone down near that base, the people who done it, probably came into the country from somewhere else and came there specifically to do whatever it is they were planning to do”
Look at the men who were caught trying to bomb RAF Fairford air base. Do they look “British” to you? It doesn’t take a genius to see that they are third worlders.
Everyone is sick of being betrayed by their own leaders with suicidal immigration policies. Enough! ....snip....More of her shouting at him at the link.
(I do not have X so have not checked this link)
x.com/TalkTV/status/…
Charles, Geoffrey, Wesley, George, and Ian?
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