What we know about RAF Fairford counter-terror probe
What we know about RAF Fairford counter-terror probe
Emily Atkinson; Matt Spivey Mon, September 28, 2026 at 10:39 AM UTC
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Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an airbase in the west of England.
Bomb disposal teams have been examining a number of vehicles near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and dozens of homes in the surrounding area have been evacuated.
Here is a summary of what we know so far.
What happened?
Gloucestershire Police said they received a call about "three suspicious vehicles" travelling towards RAF Fairford at 00:45 BST on Sunday.
Five men were later arrested by its officers near Whelford, a village around two miles (3.2km) south-east of the base.
A bomb disposal team was also deployed to the village to examine a number of vehicles, police said, around which a 400m (1,312ft) cordon is in place.
Aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area, though its use has not been confirmed by police.
Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) is leading the investigation into the incident. The BBC understands the operation was not intelligence led.
RAF Fairford is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4km) south of the town of Fairford, which sits along the River Coln.
The base shares a long history with the American military, and has recently been used by US warplanes as a staging post for defensive strikes on Iran.
Five arrested as counter-terror police investigate major incident near RAF Fairford
More questions than answers after major incident near RAF Fairford
The US military said it was "working closely" with its UK counterparts "to monitor this situation, minimise impacts and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families, and the local community".
There has been a large emergency service presence in the area since the early hours of Sunday, which Gloucestershire Police Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said would remain over the next few days.
Blyth told a news conference on Sunday evening that the force would continue to assist CTP and liaise with other national partners.
She also said she would leave any declaration of a "terrorist incident" to CTP.
Who are the suspects?
Five men were initially detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.
They were then further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.
The men, who remain in custody, have not been named. Police have not said where they are being held.
Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without charge, compared to the 24-hour limit for standard arrests without an extension application.
Asked whether police were seeking other individuals in connection with the incident, Blyth said she believed the matter was "contained".
US President Donald Trump said those arrested were "looking to do big damage", adding: "We had them under view for a long time, and we got them."
This image has been circulating following the arrests of five men near RAF Fairford
BBC Your Voice has received an image purporting to show the moment five men were arrested.
It showed detained men in Whelford, about 350m (1,148ft) from runway access at Crash Gate 6A at RAF Fairford.
The BBC has been unable to verify the original source but BBC Verify has geolocated the image and confirmed it appeared to be authentic.
BBC Verify has also been looking into the branding of the three white vans parked near RAF Fairford.
A verified image shows a red logo on one of the vans reading "Fuel 2You", with a mobile phone number also visible.
When contacted by the BBC, the number went straight to an automated Lycamobile voice message system.
We've found no evidence that "Fuel 2You" is a legitimate company operating in the UK or a real brand name.
However, BBC Verify contacted Fuel2U, a company with a similar name which delivers diesel across the UK. A spokesperson told us the vans are "nothing to do" with the company.
"From our perspective, it's a very unfortunate coincidence," they said. "It's spelled differently. The phone number is different. The branding is different entirely, so it's not a historic version of our brand."
They added that "all of our vans are present and accounted for" and "even if it was one of our vans that was stolen, it would have our logo on it. That is not our logo".
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The company also confirmed it was a newly-launched business and had never used the name "Fuel 2You" in any previous form. Its branding is also accented green, rather than red.
Aerial images from the scene show the three vans that were parked near the RAF baseWhat sparked the arrests?
A resident who called 999 to report the three white vans in Whelford village said it was "pure luck" that she spotted the vehicles.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she arrived home to find the driveway and road blocked and saw a "large group of hooded and masked men".
"When they saw me they ran ahead of me - some into the field and some towards the neighbouring village of Kempsford. I then realised that something highly unusual was taking place," she added.
The woman told the programme she called the Ministry of Defence police at RAF Fairford but received no answer. She then rang 999 at 01:36 BST and said "within 10 minutes the village was full of armed police".
"I believe that my 999 call foiled whatever plans they had."
"I am absolutely staggered that it was left to me as a member of the public to see and report this," she said.
"Someone really dropped the ball on this."
Another resident described the moment he said he saw police apprehend the suspects.
Jeff - who did not give his surname - told the BBC he heard "shouting outside his front door", although he could not be sure where it came from.
He said he then looked out of his window and saw "people being held by police outside".
How many homes have been evacuated?
Gloucestershire Police said displaced residents have been told they will not be able to return to their homes on Sunday night.
Overnight accommodation will be found by Cotswold District Council for those affected who are unable to stay with family and friends, according to Deputy Chief Executive David Stanley.
Eighty-five households were evacuated following the incident and urged to shelter at a nearby leisure centre.
Several people have told the BBC they were woken by police in the early hours of Sunday and ordered to leave.
"We just had to throw our clothes on and come. We didn't know anything," one resident, who named herself only as Jo, said.
Another resident, Jason, said: "It all happened very quickly. We just packed our stuff up and came here."
Several people in the leisure centre are still wearing their pyjamas, according to a BBC reporter there.
What has the UK government said?
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident was "deeply concerning" and the government would "always take every step necessary" to protect people.
The prime minister urged people "not to speculate while the authorities establish the full facts".
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting thanked members of the public for their vigilance and quick action to alert emergency services to the plot.
He added that the farmer who told the BBC about her 999 call "did the right thing" in reporting the men but said she only had a "partial picture", without expanding further.
The defence secretary said "this is not the time for me to speculate" over whether there was any Iranian involvement in the plot.
On Iranian threats to the UK more generally, Streeting added: "We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm."
"In the dangerous and turbulent world we find ourselves in, investment in defence is a price worth paying," he added.
What is RAF Fairford used for?
RAF Fairford has been used as a forward operating location by the US Air Force (USAF) for decades.
The base was occupied by USAF Strategic Air Command during the Cold War and later the first Gulf War in 1991.
B-52 bombers were also deployed by USAF from RAF Fairford on raids to Iraq in 2003.
It was most recently used on 1 March, following a decision by former UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to allow the US to use UK bases - including RAF Fairford - for "defensive" strikes on Iranian capabilities.
Conflict was sparked across the Middle East after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February.
Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
