Five men were arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after police stopped three vans heading for RAF Fairford, which hosts US bombers. Counter-terror police are probing a possible Iran link; the defence secretary said it was too early to speculate on motive.
The vans were stopped in Whelford early Sunday after a resident reported them; police said they received the report at about 12:45 a.m. A 400-metre cordon was set up, and 85 households could not return home overnight. Bomb-disposal officers spent hours inspecting the vans.
The Press Association understands the operation was not intelligence-led, meaning investigators had no advance knowledge of a possible plot. US President Donald Trump said, "We had them under view for a long time, and we got them."
