Police arrest another British man in RAF Fairford investigation

LONDON — A seventh man has been arrested as part of an investigation into the suspected terror plot around the RAF Fairford airbase, Britain’s Counter Terrorism Policing said on Tuesday.

The statement said that a 22-year-old British man was arrested on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

This is the seventh arrest in the live investigation into events surrounding a suspected terror plot near the RAF Fairford airbase, which has been used by the United States to conduct defensive strikes against Iran.

Five British men were arrested on Sunday, 27 September, on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act, after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase. No improvised explosive devices were found in the vehicles, but investigators recovered a quantity of petrol.

On Thursday, Counter Terrorism Policing arrested a 25-year-old British-Iranian man for the same offense as part of investigations. All six men were later released on bail.

On Sunday, the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. had withdrawn all B-1 bombers from the airbase. The following day, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that the United States had known of a “threat” which led them to move the bombers.

Counter-terror police — supported by the MI5 intelligence service — are currently investigating “possible foreign state involvement” as part of their enquiries.

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the government believes “Iran to have played a part” in the incident.