Man with British and Iranian citizenship arrested after incident near RAF Fairford
27-year-old detained on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack; several others questioned and five released on police bail.
A 27-year-old man holding both British and Iranian citizenship has been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack after an incident close to the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Another 26-year-old man was also questioned by police over a possible connection to the same incident, while five other men in their twenties who were detained near the base on Sunday remain released on police bail. All five are British nationals from London.
Large police operation after reports of suspicious vehicles
Police counter-terror teams launched a substantial security response after a report about "three suspicious vehicles" moving toward the base run by the United States Air Force (USAF). One of the men involved rang 999 roughly an hour before a local farmer informed police that he had seen a "large group" of masked men near the vehicles.
Vicky Evans, the national coordinator for the service, said investigators were probing every line of inquiry. "all possible scenarios, including potential involvement of a foreign state in this case," she said.
She added: "The investigation into the circumstances related to the events in Gloucestershire is extremely complex, and our specialised teams are investigating a number of possible scenarios for the case." Police have not publicly released further operational details while enquiries continue.
Photo: press material from the event
