Britain Releases 5 Suspects Detained Near Military Base Amid Terror Plot Suspicions

London - Afaq News - The British police announced today, Monday, the release on bail of five suspects who were arrested yesterday near the Royal Air Force base at Fairford, after three commercial vehicles loaded with explosive materials were found in their possession, in an incident that authorities are investigating for a possible connection to a plot to carry out a terrorist attack.

The British counter-terrorism unit clarified that the five suspects, all British citizens residing in London, are aged between 23 and 25 years, and are still under investigation, noting that the arrests have led to the emergence of several new lines of inquiry.

The decision to release came shortly after the police announced that the five men are British citizens. The counter-terrorism unit stated that it is still investigating their motives, while the suspects are subject to strict conditions that limit their movement and communications with others.

The head of the British counter-terrorism unit, Lawrence Taylor, stated that investigators remain "open" to the possibility of a "geopolitical" motive behind the thwarted plot, including the possibility that the suspects may have acted, knowingly or unknowingly, on behalf of a "foreign state."

These statements come amid British media reports indicating that the investigation is looking into, among other things, the possibility that Iran sent the five suspects to target the Fairford base, which is used by the U.S. Air Force, from which American bombers took off to carry out strikes in Iran during the recent war.

Taylor emphasized that the release of the suspects does not mean the end of the investigation, stating that they are subject to strict conditions that limit their movements and communications.

Iran denies any connection.

For its part, Iran denied being behind the thwarted plot. The Iranian embassy in London stated that the Islamic Republic "completely rejects and strongly condemns the malicious and unfounded speculation" regarding the arrests near the base, considering that such speculation only serves to "fuel Iranophobia" in Britain.

British police announced yesterday morning that a "major incident" had occurred in the village of Woolford, near Fairford base, which is used by the U.S. Air Force, from where planes took off to carry out bombing missions in Iran.

In the following hours, police announced the arrest of five men on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack after finding three commercial vehicles loaded with explosives in their possession.

Images taken by a local resident showed the suspects on a sidewalk near the village, with their hands bound and undergoing a search by British security forces.

It later became clear that the five men were arrested just about 320 meters from the military base. British media reported that security agencies are investigating the possibility of their connection to Iran, especially in light of Iranian threats issued last July to target bases including Fairford, if American planes continued to take off from there to carry out strikes inside Iranian territory.

During the recent war, Britain initially prevented the United States from using British bases to carry out strikes in Iran, before former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer allowed the Americans to carry out "limited" strikes from those bases against targets in the Islamic Republic, particularly missile sites, including sites from which Iranian attacks against ships in the Strait of Hormuz are launched.

A farmer reported the suspects to the police.

As investigations continue, questions are increasing in Britain and abroad about what British and American intelligence agencies knew about the plot, and how close the suspects were to carrying out the attack.

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the arrest of the suspects was "great," noting that the United States and Britain collaborated in their apprehension, and that the cooperation between the two countries "worked excellently."

Trump added that the suspects had been under American and British surveillance for a long time, stating that they intended to "cause significant damage to our fortress," apparently referring to RAF Fairford.

These statements contrast with previous testimonies and reports in Britain, which indicated that local residents were the ones who suspected the men's movements and alerted emergency services, while British media reported that local police did not have prior intelligence about the plot, and that their action was based on real-time reports from citizens.

In this context, a farmer from the nearby village of Wolford spoke today about the details of what happened, confirming that she was the person who called the British emergency service at 999 to report the suspicious movements of the men.

According to her account, she was driving home after returning from a party around 00:45 AM when she noticed three commercial vehicles blocking a quiet rural road surrounding the base.

She said she was surprised to see the vehicles, so she backed her car up and then noticed a group of men with Middle Eastern features, wearing winter hats and clothing with head coverings, dispersing towards the trees and fields in the direction of the base.

The farmer reported to the police, then wrote a message in the village residents' WhatsApp group warning them and urging them to lock their doors.

The police arrived at the scene in about 15 minutes, and after about ten minutes, they arrested the five men.

The farmer, who requested to remain anonymous for her safety, said she believes her sudden appearance may have confused the group, adding that the lights of her car may have made them think she was the police, prompting them to flee.

She noted that the commercial vehicles also seemed suspicious due to the presence of a phone number and writings on them that she believed were fake. According to reports, the phone number on one of the vehicles had a Sheffield area code but was missing one digit.

For its part, the company "Fuel2U", a fuel supply company based in Consfield, stated that the vehicles bearing its name have no relation to the company.

Defense Minister: The farmer has a "partial image".

In statements to the "Daily Telegraph", the farmer said that when she thinks about what could have happened if the men had tried to prevent her from leaving the place, she realizes that she was lucky.

She added that she saw a group of young men fleeing among the trees, some of whom were wearing masks or winter hats, while others headed towards the fields and the military base.

She said that the scene was clearly alarming, especially since the area is located near an airbase that is under tight security measures, and she felt that the local authorities "were asleep at the guard."

However, British Defense Minister Wes Streeting rejected the conclusion that the farmer's account reflects the full picture of what happened, despite praising her swift actions.

He stated that the farmer did "exactly what we hoped anyone would do in such an extraordinary situation," expressing gratitude for her quick and responsible actions, but added that she only has a "partial picture" of the events and refused to provide further details.

The minister's remarks came after the farmer indicated that authorities may not have had prior information about suspicious movements.

The farmer responded to Streeting's comments, saying she does not know where he concluded that she has a partial picture, emphasizing that she has never met the minister before.

She added that the police had not contacted her until that time, despite having her phone number, which she used when calling the emergency service 999.

She said that what she saw were three unfamiliar vehicles parked in the middle of her village and a group of unknown men moving around the area, adding: "This is the image I had, and I don't know if it's the complete picture or not."

She also pointed out that she saw, alongside the five men who were arrested, other people fleeing through the fields after encountering the group, considering that this point raises questions about what actually happened around the base.

British authorities continue to investigate the motives of the five men, and whether the plan is linked to an external entity, while no public evidence has yet been provided to prove Iran's connection to the incident.