(CNN) British police on Sunday arrested five men on suspicion of terror and explosives offences close to an airbase in England that is used by US long-range bombers in the war against Iran.
Army bomb disposal units are at the scene while dozens of houses nearby have been evacuated as a precaution with the investigation ongoing.
The arrests were made after information was received from residents in the area soon after midnight, according to Richard Ocone, a senior detective in the county of Gloucestershire. The men have not been identified and no clue has been given about a possible motive.
A senior officer in Counter Terrorism Policing, Vicki Evans, confirmed: “We are in the early stages of an investigation, and five men remain in custody. As you would expect, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.”
On top of the suspected explosives offences, the men were “further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act,” according to counter-terrorism police. Counter-terrorism laws allow UK police to hold suspects for up to 14 days before they are charged.
The US Embassy in London warned Americans in the UK to “exercise caution and be mindful of personal security” in the wake of the arrests.
Aerial footage appeared to show a bomb disposal robot roaming between three white vans in woods near the base. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered around.
On Sunday evening, CNN teams standing near the perimeter fence of RAF Fairford heard what sounded like two controlled detonations from the direction of Whelford.
Earlier, the Gloucestershire Police told reporters that “the army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit continue to examine three vehicles near” the village.
The Daily Mail published video purporting to show several individuals under arrest at the scene in the early hours of Sunday, local time. They appear to be shirtless with their arms behind their backs.
The village is close to the Royal Air Force base at Fairford which has been used by US B-1 bombers involved in targeting Iran and is a forward operating location for US Global Strike Command, which is tasked with managing long-distance strikes.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/27/uk/fairford-arrests-uk-raf-us-intl