U.K. police arrest 5 men near air base, suspected of preparing terror act
U.K. police arrested five men near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act after suspicious vehicles approached the military base. The base, which is used by the U.S. Air Force for limited strikes during the ongoing conflict with Iran, was placed under a security cordon resulting in local evacuations.
Why it matters
Underscores heightened domestic security concerns and heightened protective measures around vital military installations amid geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East.
UK police said Sunday that five men arrested in the middle of the night near an air base used by the United States during its war against Iran are being held on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
London’s Metropolitan Police, which takes the lead on potential terrorism activities, said in a statement that police received a call at 12:45 a.m. related to three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be traveling toward the air base. The base is U.K. owned and U.S. operated under an agreement dating back to the Cold War.
The five men were initially arrested in the Whelford area, which backs onto RAF Fairford, the base that hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron.
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