‘Terror suspects arrested near UK air base were looking to do big damage’: Trump
Armed police man a roadblock on the route leading to RAF Fairford base in south-west England on Sunday. Photograph: (AFP)
A spokesperson for the US Air Force said the US and British personnel remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety of all those at the base. The incident comes a day after US President Donald Trump said he has rejected the latest Iranian proposal to end the war.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday morning that the five suspects arrested near a Royal Air Force Fairford air base on the suspicion of preparing a terrorist act at the facility, used by US bombers in the operations against Iran, were looking to do big damage but claimed that they had been under US investigation.
“Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our fort, and working with the British worked out great, and we got them,” Trump told reporters Sunday morning.
“The arrest in the UK was fantastic. We had them under review for a long time, and we got them. Worked with the UK to make arrests near the RAF base. Suspects had been under surveillance for a long time, and we captured them,” he said.
Men arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act
British police arrested five men on Sunday on the suspicion of preparing a terrorist act near a Royal Air Force base that has been used by US bombers in the operations against Iran. The UK’s Metropolitan Police said officers received a call around 12:45 am local time about three suspicious vehicles travelling toward RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a county in southwestern England.
Police received a call around 12.45 am Sunday local time relating to “three suspicious vehicles” that appeared to be travelling towards the air base used by the US 501st Combat Support Wing and the 420th Air Base Squadron, said Metropolitan Police in a statement.
Armed officers responded in the area of Whelford, a village some 33 miles from the city of Oxford. There they arrested the men “on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act", and they were further arrested “on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act”.
Roadblocks, 40-metre cordon set up near RAF Fairford
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Officials declared a major incident and set up roadblocks overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwestern England.
UK counter-terrorism official Vicki Evans, deputy assistant commissioner, said officers established a 400-metre cordon (roughly a quarter-mile) around vehicles in the area while the British Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit conducted examinations.
“As a precaution, around 85 households have been evacuated whilst these examinations take place,” she said in a statement.
RAF Fairford is the US Air Force’s preferred bomber forward operating location in Europe and supports a variety of missions and exercises throughout the year.
After the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran on Feb. 28, the UK government allowed the American military to use the Fairford base to strike Iranian missile sites.
A spokesperson for the US Air Force said the US and British personnel “remain vigilant” and will take appropriate actions to ensure the 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 incident comes a day after US President Donald Trump said he has rejected the latest Iranian proposal to end the war.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had warned in July that any base used for attacks on Iranian territory would be considered a “legitimate target” in a statement that specifically referenced US B-1 bombers flying from RAF Fairford.
‘Incident deeply concerning,’ says UK PM
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident near RAF Fairford will be deeply concerning for local residents and people following developments across the country. “My thanks go to Gloucestershire Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, our Armed Forces and all those working to keep the public safe. I am especially grateful to those residents who have been asked to leave their homes while precautionary checks are carried out.”
“The safety and security of the public is our first priority, and I want people to know that we will always take every step necessary to protect our communities and keep our country safe,” he added.
