British counter-terrorism police were Sunday probing "a major" incident near a base used by the US air force after arresting five men on suspicion of "preparing a terrorist act", police said.
US President Donald Trump told reporters they had been "looking to do big damage" at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, southwest England.
A local resident, who said it was known locally that the base was on lockdown due to a "terror threat", alerted emergency services after seeing three vans blocking the road and a large group of men wearing hoods and balaclavas.
In March, then prime minister Keir Starmer granted permission for "defensive" US action against Iranian missile sites from two UK bases, including Fairford.
Gloucestershire police said earlier it had declared a "major incident" with several men arrested "on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act".
5 sentences from our version of the report,
chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below.
How
Summarized version
Armed officers could be seen guarding the entrance to the base. New Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident, a government spokesperson said.
The report’s most important sentence, shortened and in plain words. How
Headline check
Headline as published: Five arrested as UK police investigate alleged terror plot near US air base
There is nothing in this headline a machine can check against the report: no figure, no name and no quotation.
British counter-terrorism police were Sunday probing "a major" incident near a base used by the US air force after arresting five men on suspicion of "preparing a terrorist act", police said.
Armed officers detained the group in the early hours after a call to emergency services about three "suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards the air base", London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump told reporters they had been "looking to do big damage" at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, southwest England.
"We had them under view for a long time, and we got them," he said, adding the US and UK had been working together on the incident.
A local resident, who said it was known locally that the base was on lockdown due to a "terror threat", alerted emergency services after seeing three vans blocking the road and a large group of men wearing hoods and balaclavas.
Some 85 households in the nearby village of Whelford were advised to evacuate, and army bomb disposal experts were called in to examine three large white vans stopped on a rural road.
In March, then prime minister Keir Starmer granted permission for "defensive" US action against Iranian missile sites from two UK bases, including Fairford.
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham was being kept updated on the incident, a government spokesperson said.
Gloucestershire police said earlier it had declared a "major incident" with several men arrested "on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act".
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How outlets headlined it
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WAtoday‘Major incident’ declared after explosives arrests near UK air force baseplain
SBS NewsFive arrested as UK police investigate alleged terror plot near US air base1 change
The West AustralianMen arrested in major incident near UK base used by US1 change
The Sydney Morning HeraldTerror Plot foiled at UK air base1 change
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