5 men arrested near U.S. bomber base in Britain released on bail
Five men arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack near a British air base used by U.S. bombers have been released on bail, according to British authorities. They remain under investigation, with strict restrictions on their movements and contact with others.
The men were released on Monday afternoon following extensive interviews and inquiries, according to Laurence Taylor, the head of Britain’s counterterrorism police. They were arrested early Sunday near RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base in Gloucestershire in southwestern England.
“To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over,” Taylor said. “They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry.”
Armed officers arrested the men in nearby Whelford after police received a report at about 12:45 a.m. on Sunday of three suspicious vehicles traveling toward the base. They were initially held on suspicion of explosives offenses and later on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Military personnel and forensic experts examined the three vehicles overnight. The Sun reported that material found inside what it described as three white vans was “not viable explosives.”
Residents who were evacuated from about 85 households have now been allowed to return home, according to Gloucestershire Police. A cordon remains around the vehicles as investigators continue their work.
“I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We know everything about them. We would have not released them.”
Trump said on Sunday that the men were “looking to do big damage” to the base. Sky News had also reported that investigators were examining a possible Iranian connection.
There has also been speculation that the men may have been involved in a fuel-stealing operation, but authorities have not confirmed that account.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
