"Saw some robots." Five people arrested near RAF base in England — suspected of preparing a terrorist attack

Five men have been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The purpose and motives of the perpetrators are not yet known, writes the BBC.

In addition to British military aviation, US Air Force units are permanently stationed at Fairford base, and American bombers were deployed there after the start of the war with Iran.

On the night of Sunday, September 27, police received a call about "three suspicious vehicles" heading towards Fairford airbase. Local resident Julian Thadsbery said that three "unusual vans" appeared in the area overnight. He claims that on CCTV recordings from house porches, which residents viewed remotely after the evacuation, "some robots peering into the cargo areas of these vans" could be seen.

In the morning, military sappers used a special robot to examine several vehicles, and dozens of families were evacuated from the village of Welford near the airbase in the morning. Police established a cordon, and a large number of emergency service vehicles arrived at the scene.

Gloucestershire Police reported the arrest of several men on suspicion of explosives offenses. Later, counter-terrorism police clarified that the five arrested individuals are also suspected of preparing a terrorist act.

According to police data, residents of 85 homes were evacuated. The cordon, established from early Sunday morning, was extended to 400 meters and now covers RAF Fairford airbase.

Police and counter-terrorism services have not yet disclosed any details that would clarify what specific events the suspects' actions might be linked to, or who might be behind the organization of the alleged terrorist act. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for avoiding hasty speculation and awaiting the results of the investigation.

US President Donald Trump praised British authorities for their coordinated work and stated that the suspects had been under surveillance for a long time.

"We were watching them. They intended to do serious harm to our fortress, and cooperation with the British was excellent. Maybe it was Scotland Yard, I don't know. We cooperated with many [special services]. We had been watching them for a long time and we caught them," Trump said.

It is known that the airbase was used by the US Air Force to deploy bombers involved in the war with Iran, which is now in its seventh month.

In July, Iranian authorities accused the United Kingdom of complicity in war crimes and issued an unambiguous warning: "Any party that in any way participates in military aggression against Iran will be held accountable for the consequences of that decision." The Air Force base in Fairford was mentioned in the IRGC statement.

Moreover, all of this occurred against the backdrop of a growing number of incidents that Western authorities link to Russia's hybrid warfare against the West. According to Western sources, the aim of the campaign, which is attributed to the Kremlin, or more precisely its military intelligence GRU, is to punish countries that support Ukraine.

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