UK police to release 5 men arrested in US air base incident

The five men arrested in connection with a possible terrorist attack at a British air base operated by the U.S. military have been released on bail but remain under investigation, according to the United Kingdom’s counterterrorism police.

All five men — who are British nationals from London and are between 23 and 25 years old — were arrested Sunday on explosives and terror charges near the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford air base in southern England after three vans were seen outside the military installation.

Laurence Taylor, the head of Britain’s counterterrorism police, later told reporters the men’s release would be “subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others.”

He noted that detectives were investigating the incident “from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”

Taylor did not say whether investigators had found explosives in any of the three vans and did not take questions.

His statement added to the confusion around the incident, which began after a farmer alerted police to three suspicious vehicles near the air base at 12:45 a.m. local time Sunday.

A local farmer reportedly said she called police after seeing the vans and came across “a large group of men,” some with their faces covered, as she drove home late Saturday night. She said the men ran away when they saw her vehicle.

Members from the British army’s explosive ordnance disposal team used a robot to examine the vans, though it’s unclear what, if anything, was found.

President Trump later on Sunday contradicted British police when he told reporters the suspects had been “under view for a long time” and intended to do “big damage” to the air base.

Iran has denied its involvement in the event, with its London Embassy saying it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” around the incident.

The U.S. has used RAF Fairford to position B-52 and B-1 bombers for missions to Iran since the U.S. and Israel’s joint war began in February.

Tehran has repeatedly threatened countries that aid Washington in the war and has already been linked to a series of attacks in Europe, heightening tensions across the continent.