Seventh Man Bailed in Connection with RAF Fairford Incident

A 22-year-old British national has been released on bail following his arrest in connection with a security incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The man was taken into custody in Westminster on Tuesday under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, as counter-terrorism police continue their investigation.

This latest development brings the total number of arrests related to the incident to seven. All those detained were men in their 20s, and none have been charged to date. Each suspect has been released on bail while inquiries proceed.

The investigation was launched after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the airbase in the early hours of September 27. A major incident was declared, prompting the evacuation of dozens of nearby homes. On the day of the incident, five men aged between 23 and 25 were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing terrorist acts. A sixth suspect, a 25-year-old dual Iranian-British national, was arrested in Westminster on October 1.

RAF Fairford, located near the village of Whelford, has served as a key US Air Force base for decades. In recent months, it was used to launch B-1 and B-52 bombers into the Middle East following UK approval for defensive strikes against Iran. However, it was revealed on Sunday that the United States had withdrawn these aircraft back to America.

President Donald Trump stated that the withdrawal was due to unspecified “threats” against the base. Speaking to reporters, he said, “There were some threats. And rather than tempting the enemy, we’ll capture the enemy and beat the enemy… But why should we leave them there? So we moved them around a little bit. Not very far.”

Prior to the President’s comments, a spokesperson for Downing Street insisted that RAF Fairford remained safe, pointing to Trump’s previous praise for the UK’s police, defence, and security services regarding the base’s protection.