Police say no explosives found in RAF Fairford terror plot vehicles
British police said no explosives were found in vehicles linked to the alleged RAF Fairford plot, though officers found a quantity of petrol.
Update ·
No explosives were found in the vehicles near RAF Fairford, only a quantity of petrol, police said.
All 2 updates ↓British police said no explosive device was found in the vehicles linked to the alleged bomb plot near RAF Fairford, though officers did find a quantity of petrol, according to Le Figaro and TGCom24. The five men arrested over the suspected plot remain on bail after being questioned by counter-terrorism officers.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the suspected plot clearly involved "a foreign actor", without naming a country, according to Le Figaro and RTS Info. His comments came after Iran's embassy in London had already denied any involvement in the case.
President Donald Trump criticised the decision to release the five suspects on bail, Notícias ao Minuto reported. Trump had earlier said the men had wanted to do serious damage to the base and that authorities had been watching them for some time.
The men, five British nationals in their 20s from London, were arrested on Sunday near Whelford, a village close to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack and breaching explosives laws, Swiss outlet 20 Minuten reported. Gloucestershire Police said they had received a call about three suspicious vehicles heading toward the base.
At the time of the arrests, police evacuated nearby households to a community centre and searched several vehicles at the scene, with a bomb disposal team also sent to examine them and a cordon set up around the area.
RAF Fairford has been used by US Air Force B-52 bombers and was recently used as a staging point for strikes on Iranian targets, the BBC reported. Iran's embassy in London has rejected any link to the case as baseless, according to 20 Minuten.
The case is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing, the UK's national anti-terrorism unit, according to 20 Minuten. Suspects arrested under British terrorism law can be held without charge for up to 14 days while an investigation continues.
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What we know
- British police said no explosives were found in the vehicles linked to the alleged plot, only a quantity of petrol.
- The five suspects, British nationals in their 20s from London, remain on bail after their arrest near RAF Fairford.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the plot involved a foreign actor, without naming a country.
- President Trump criticised the decision to release the men on bail.
- Iran's embassy in London has denied any involvement in the case.
Why it matters for Europe
RAF Fairford's use by American bombers, including deployments linked to strikes on Iranian targets, has made the Gloucestershire base a focus of concern for UK and US security officials. Rubio's description of a foreign actor being involved suggests state-linked planning behind the alleged plot, though officials have not named a country.
The case has drawn political attention beyond Britain, with both Trump and Rubio commenting publicly on an investigation that remains active under UK counter-terrorism law, even as the five suspects have been freed on bail pending further inquiries.
Updates
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No explosives were found in the vehicles near RAF Fairford, only a quantity of petrol, police said.
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The five men arrested over the alleged RAF Fairford bomb plot have been released on bail, police confirm.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 14 reports from 13 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Seznam Zprávy: Útok na Londýn. Čeští miliardáři bojují ve světové konkurenci
- Evening Standard: Wood Green fire: Man dies in blaze at house in north London
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- The Times: Notorious London gangster jailed for life over restaurant shooting
- Het Nieuwsblad: Vijf opgepakte mannen bij vermeende verijdelde aanslag op Britse luchtmachtbasis vrijgelaten onder voorwaarden
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Questions and answers
- Were explosives found in the RAF Fairford plot investigation?
- No. British police said no explosive device was found in the vehicles, though a quantity of petrol was found.
- What did Marco Rubio say about the plot?
- The US Secretary of State said the suspected plot clearly involved a foreign actor, without naming a country.
- Are the five suspects still in custody?
- No, they were released on bail, a decision President Trump has criticised.
This article was written with AI assistance from 14 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.