Five men arrested on Sunday outside RAF Fairford, a U.K. air base used by the United States during the Iran war, on suspicion of planning an attack on the base, will be released on bail, according to U.K. police. Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism policing, announced the update during a press conference on Monday at Scotland Yard. Despite their release, Taylor referred to the event as a foiled attack and indicated the possibility that the individuals could have been acting as proxies for a foreign government, specifically mentioning Iran.
"We are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state to respond to incidents such as these," Taylor stated. He emphasized that the investigation is not concluded, stating, "They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others." The five men remain under investigation.
Taylor acknowledged the significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context influences this incident, noting that counterterrorism police are continuously working within this context and are keeping an open mind regarding the investigation. He mentioned that police mobilization was necessary, as plots like these often involve individuals seeking quick financial gain rather than terrorism.
U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood also addressed the incident, referring to it as a foiled terrorist attack and declaring the scene safe. She described the arrest as a major victory in the fight against terrorism, stating, "To all those who mean us harm and plot violence on our soil, let this be a reminder you will never defeat us."
Residents from 85 homes near the three vans evacuated for safety were cleared to return. RAF Fairford received significant media attention on Sunday after British police declared a major incident near the air base, which houses U.S. heavy bombers that have been used against Iran.
Police responded to the area after a local farmer in her 50s reported the unusual placement of the vans. Her suspicions increased when she attempted to call the number on one of the vans, which did not work. The individuals associated with the vehicles began to act suspiciously.
The farmer recounted, "We suddenly saw a large group of men. They were panicking. … I suppose they were panicking because anyone saw them, but our vehicle is quite similar to the patrol vehicles that they use, and we had our lights on main beam. I think we sort of dazzled them, and they started to run, and some of them ran straight ahead across the road into the field, and some turned and started going down towards Kempsford, which is our next village." She expressed concern that there were more individuals present than the five who were arrested.
The farmer attempted to alert the Ministry of Defense police but reported that her calls went unanswered. After reaching the police non-emergency line and being put on hold, she called the emergency line, which prompted a swift police response. "Literally within five minutes of that, everything sort of kicked off and armed police arrived — the guys were arrested," she said, noting that a helicopter was deployed to search the area for a couple of hours.
Despite her critical assistance and testimony, the farmer stated that the government had not followed up with her. "The strange thing is, there was no kind of follow-up," she said. "The police didn’t ring me — they had all my details, they didn’t phone me back, and nobody told anyone in the village what was going on apart from me." She also mentioned that the police left the suspicious vehicles in place without evacuating anyone for a significant period.