British police on Sunday arrested five people suspected of plotting a van bombing at a UK military base used by the US Air Force for operations targeting Iran.
Dramatic images showed the suspects being held at gunpoint and stripped to the waist. Officers reportedly feared they could be wearing suicide vests as part of the alleged plot.
A bomb-disposal robot was later seen moving among three vans after chemicals and suspected explosive devices were discovered during the operation at Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, southwest England, according to The Sun.
Located about 90 miles from London, the base serves as the US Air Force’s European command outpost. It has been used for American strikes on Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
ALSO READ: Carrot Top Shares Health Update After Hospital Release
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard issued a chilling warning to the British government in July, urging it not to allow US bombers to operate from the facility. RAF Fairford is home to the US 501st Combat Support Wing Headquarters and the 420th Air Base Squadron.
Police evacuated residents from the nearby village of Whelford after declaring a major incident during the operation.
The five suspects remain in custody on suspicion of possessing explosives, while MI5 is assisting counterterrorism police with the investigation.
Gloucestershire Police said inquiries are continuing but confirmed that the threat has been contained.
