A UK probe into a suspected bomb plot at an airbase used by the United States was mired in confusion, as police said no explosives but a “quantity of petrol” was found in vehicles seized nearby.
asserted
explosives → suspect → vehicles
Police were called to the Royal Air Force Fairford base in southwest England on Sunday after a resident saw several vans “acting suspiciously”, triggering an evacuation of the nearby village and the declaration of a “major incident”.
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vans → call → incident
“Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination… and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found.
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devices → confirm → examination
However, a quantity of petrol was recovered,” National Counter Terrorism Policing head Laurence Taylor said.
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Taylor → recover → petrol
The development came as British media reported that a member of the group called police around an hour before a local farmer alerted officers after spotting the men and vans.
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farmer → come → men
There have been huge questions around the incident after five London-based Britons were released on bail Monday after being arrested early Sunday on explosives and terror offences, with Washington criticising their release.
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Washington → base → release
“I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision,” Taylor added, after US President Donald Trump said he was “surprised” by the decision.
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he → understand → decision
“I wouldn’t have done that,” Trump told reporters, as his Secretary of State Marco Rubio alleged a “foreign actor” was involved.
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actor → do → State
Speculation was rife about the incident near the Fairford airbase, which is used by the US military to launch strikes on Iran.
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which → use → Iran
Iran’s embassy in London has said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” speculation that Tehran was involved.
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Tehran → say → speculation
The latest update lends credibility to some theories that the men could be fuel thieves, as energy prices rise in the UK.
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prices → lend → UK
But the scare forced 85 homes in a nearby village to be evacuated, with many residents having to stay elsewhere for at least one night.
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residents → force → night
Police said they had searched homes in London and were hoping to stand down investigative operations on Wednesday.
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they → say → Wednesday
A resident in the neighbouring village of Kempsford, Patricia, 60, told AFP it was “very embarrassing that people around the world thought it was a terrorist attack.
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it → tell → world
But in the end, no — it’s a lot of noise for nothing”.
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it → ’ → nothing
The security scare became public after a farmer living in the village of Whelford near the airbase rang police after seeing the three vans blocking a road and a group of masked men fleeing the scene.
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group → become → scene
British media later reported that officers had already been alerted by one of the suspects before the farmer’s call, although police have not publicly commented on the reports.
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police → report → reports
Armed officers arrested the five men — all London residents in their mid-20s — on suspicion of explosives offences and, later, “suspicion of preparing a terrorist act” under anti-terror laws.
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officers → arrest → laws
Police said the men “remain under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions while we continue our work”.
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we → say → work
Security at the base had reportedly been heightened recently.
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Security → heighten → base
Britain gave Washington permission in March to use Fairford for “specific defensive operations into Iran” to destroy Iranian missiles at source.
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Britain → give → source
US bombers and other planes have since been seen taking off and landing from the base — the only one on Britain’s mainland used for this purpose.
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bombers → see → purpose
Aerial footage of the vans showed they appeared to contain barrels, and at least one was marked with a fake logo and phone number, giving the false impression that it was owned by a legitimate diesel delivery firm.
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it → show → firm
The legitimate firm said in a statement on its website that “neither the vehicle nor any of the individuals involved has any connection whatsoever with Fuel2U”, adding it was cooperating with the police.
“It’s a bit odd they were here in the middle of the night,” one local told AFP as she did some gardening in the nearby village of Kempsford.
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she → say → Kempsford
“If they were true terrorists, they wouldn’t have released them,” she added, asking not to give her name.
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she → release → name
A British military camp was the victim of a “security breach” last year after intruders cut through a fence to steal fuel from a tanker.
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intruders → cut → tanker
The Aporia
