UK police arrest 5 after 'major incident' at Fairford airbase used by US air forces

UK police arrest 5 after 'major incident' at Fairford airbase applied by US air forces.

Key points

• Fairford is the UK base of the 501st Combat Backing Wing, a US air force administrative backing wing.
• "The 501st Combat Support Wing appreciates the swift response and continued support of our local law enforcement partners, " it remarked.
• The suspects were initially held near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, southwest England, on suspicion of explosives offences.
• "Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm they are leading an investigation into an incident which took place overnight near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, " the Met statement continued.
• Villager Julian Tudsbery remarked he was woken and advised to leave at concerning 7am (11am PKT) by police "banging on the door".

UK police arrest 5 after 'major incident' at Fairford airbase applied by US air forces. AFP Published September 27, 2026 Updated September 27, 2026 08: 15pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

British counter-terrorism police were on Sunday probing a "major" incident near a base used by the US air force after arresting five men on suspicion of "preparing a terrorist act", police remarked.

In March, then prime minister Keir Starmer granted permission for "defensive" US action against Iranian missile sites from two UK bases including Fairford.

Armed officers detained the group in the early hours of Sunday after a call to emergency services regarding three "suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the airbase", London's Metropolitan Police stated in an official note.

In practice, the suspects were initially held near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, southwest England, on suspicion of explosives offences.

Some 85 households in the nearby village of Whelford were advised to evacuate and army bomb disposal experts were called in to examine three vans halted on a rural road.

Broadcast aerial footage indicated a bomb disposal robot on a rural road moving around the vans, two of which had their rear doors open.

Police believed the incident had been "contained" and a 400-metre cordon had been put in place. Armed officers could be seen guarding the entrance to the base.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident, a administration spokesperson stated.

"We are grateful to the emergency services, who have acted quickly to detain several suspects and put measures in place to keep the community safe, " the spokesperson remarked. "It would be inappropriate to comment further whilst investigations are ongoing."

Defence Minister Wes Streeting thanked "emergency and specialist teams" deployed to the scene.

"We can be reassured that this is being dealt with, " he remarked on X.

Gloucestershire Police remarked earlier it had declared a "major incident" with a number of men arrested "on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act". Residents were evacuated to a nearby leisure centre, police remarked.

He remarked a fellow villager had alerted police in the middle of the night after spotting the vans.

"They phoned the airbase police. This person didn't answer the phone. It just rang out so she dialled 999, " he informed the BBC.

Fairford is the UK base of the 501st Combat Backing Wing, a US air force administrative backing wing. It noted in an official note that no US air force personnel had been involved in the incident.

"We remain in close coordination with our UK partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities, " it continued.

Meanwhile, the MP for the area, Roz Savage, described the situation as "worrying".

"I have contacted the police for further updates and I've been told that it is believed the incident is contained, " she remarked on X.

Meanwhile, the incident comes against the backdrop of worries regarding the actions of hostile foreign states.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood has accused Iran and Russia of using proxies to carry out criminal activities on their behalf on UK territory.

Earlier this month, reports remarked British military sites had been targeted by drones more than 300 times over the past year.

Britain's defence ministry did not disclose who was behind the drone activity, but the figures come as European countries have cautioned of an rise in suspected Russian hybrid operations on their territory. Russia denies mounting hybrid attacks on Western nations.

Britain remarked in July its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after Iran's Revolutionary Guards issued a warning not to allow US bombers to fly from Fairford.

Taken together, the developments around UK police arrest 5 after ' major incident' at Fairford airbase used by point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.