No improvised explosive devices were found in the three vans seized near RAF Fairford, the Head of Counter Terrorism Policing said.

The vehicles, accompanied by a group of masked men, were alerted to authorities in the early hours of Sunday morning, sparking a major security alert near the Gloucestershire military base.


Five male British nationals – all from London and in their 20s – were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later terrorism.

All five were released on bail yesterday afternoon, but remain under investigation.

Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “A police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday morning due to a range of information that we received.

“This included a call from the member of public about several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford.

“Now, those vehicles, as I explained yesterday, have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices have been found.

“We have found a quantity of an accelerant, petrol, and we have recovered that as part of our investigation.”

RAF Fairford suspected bomb plot

No explosive devices were found in seized vans outside RAF Fairford

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PA

The villagers, some of whom were previously evacuated in the wake of the incident, are now in the process of being returned home.

Mr Taylor said Sunday’s drama has been worrying for lots of people, adding this is “heightened by the international commentary”.

Rumours over whether a foreign actor played a part in the incident has rumbled on after police said their investigation remained open to possibilities, one of which included the use of proxy actors.

Yesterday, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News it “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor”.

US bombers at RAF Fairford

The US uses RAF Fairford to launch defensive strikes on Tehran

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PA

However, Mr Rubio stopped short of naming a specific country, saying: “I won’t get into great detail about that yet.”

Earlier on Monday, Donald Trump admitted he was “surprised” that the suspects linked to the incident were released on bail by police.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the US President said he “wouldn’t have done that”.

“Don’t let them out on bail… Is it cashless bail like us?” the US Commander-in-Chief asked.

“I am surprised they released them, I would not have done that.”

He added that Iran could have been involved in the suspected bomb plot on the RAF base “but would rather not say”.

RAF Fairford has been used by the US military to help launch defensive air strikes against Iran since Sir Keir Starmer gave the States the go-ahead earlier this year.

But the Islamic Republic has “categorically rejected” involvement in the suspected bomb plot.



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