Close Menu
    What's Hot

    Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer saysThe woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, alleged she was drugged and raped by several men on Cornell's campus.9 mins agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026

    Meghan says she was informed about 'disturbing allegations' against her father in 2018The Duchess of Sussex issues a statement following reports her estranged father is being investigated over child sex abuse images in the Philippines.43 mins agoUK

    October 23, 2026

    Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC findsThe UN human rights chief Volker Türk says the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.1 hr agoAfrica

    October 23, 2026
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Politics
    • Economy
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Gulf News Week
    Subscribe
    Friday, October 23
    • Home
    • Politics
      • Europe
      • Middle East
      • Russia
      • Social
      • Ukraine Conflict
      • US Politics
      • World
    • Region
      • Middle East News
    • World
    • Economy
      • Banking
      • Business
      • Markets
    • Real Estate
    • Science & Tech
      • AI & Tech
      • Climate
      • Computing
      • Science
      • Space Science
      • Tech
    • Sports

      Dominant PSG put Liverpool on the brink with 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win

      April 9, 2026

      Dubai Basketball U-18 Elite Crowned Basket Cup Sarajevo 2026 Champions in Historic Debut

      April 6, 2026

      Saudi boxing crowns 20 champions as Kingdom’s Elite Belt concludes in Riyadh

      April 4, 2026

      “He Signed for a Real Fight”: Pacquiao Contradicts Mayweather Over Rematch Status

      April 3, 2026

      Arsenal Hold Off Chelsea Fightback to Reach Women’s Champions League Semi-Finals

      April 2, 2026
    • Health
    • Travel
    • Contact
    Gulf News Week
    Home»Most Viewed News»What we know about RAF Fairford counter-terror probeFive men have been arrested as counter-terror police lead an investigation into a major incident near the airbase.Just nowUK
    Most Viewed News

    What we know about RAF Fairford counter-terror probeFive men have been arrested as counter-terror police lead an investigation into a major incident near the airbase.Just nowUK

    Gulf News WeekBy Gulf News WeekSeptember 27, 2026No Comments4 Mins Read
    Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Copy Link LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte Telegram
    What we know about RAF Fairford counter-terror probeFive men have been arrested as counter-terror police lead an investigation into a major incident near the airbase.Just nowUK
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Copy Link
    BBC Aerial footage of robot and white vans near RAF FairfordBBC
    Aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area

    Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an airbase in the west of England.

    Bomb disposal teams have been examining a number of vehicles near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and dozens of homes in the surrounding area have been evacuated.

    Here is a summary of what we know so far.

    Where is RAF Fairford?

    The base shares a long history with the American military, and has recently been used by US warplanes as a staging post for defensive strikes on Iran.

    • Follow live updates on this story
    An aerial map of where RAF Fairford is. The RAF base and the village of Whelford are marked.

    What happened?

    Local police said they received a call about “three suspicious vehicles” travelling towards RAF Fairford at 00:45 BST on Sunday.

    Five men were later arrested by armed officers near Whelford, a Cotswold village around two miles (3.2km) south-east of the base.

    A bomb disposal team was also deployed to the village to examine a number of vehicles, around which a 400m (1,312ft) cordon has been placed.

    Aerial pictures showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two stationary white vans in a wooded area, though its use has not been confirmed by police.

    There has been large emergency service presence in the area since the early hours of Sunday, which Gloucestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said would remain “for some time”.

    Ocone told a news conference on Sunday afternoon that “work to establish the full nature of the incident is ongoing”.

    Counter Terrorism Policing are now leading the investigation. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said officers were “working closely” with partners to “understand the circumstances of the incident”.

    Watch: What we know about the counter-terrorism operation near RAF Fairford

    Who are the suspects?

    The five men were initially detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act.

    They were then further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act.

    The men, who remain in custody, have not been named.

    US President Donald Trump said those arrested were “looking to do big damage”, adding: “We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”

    Detained men in Whelford. Their faces are blurred. They are shirtless. Trees line the background.
    This image has been circulating following the arrests of five men near RAF Fairford

    BBC Your Voice has since received an image purporting to show the moment five men were arrested.

    It showed detained men in Whelford, about 350m (1148ft) from runway access at Crash Gate 6A at RAF Fairford.

    The BBC has been unable to verify the original source but BBC Verify has geolocated the image and confirmed it appeared to be authentic.

    How many homes have been evacuated?

    Eighty-five households have been evacuated and residents have been urged to shelter at a nearby leisure centre.

    Several people have told the BBC they were woken by police in the middle of the night and ordered to leave their homes.

    “We just had to throw our clothes on and come. We didn’t know anything,” one resident, who named herself only as Jo, said.

    Another resident, Jason, said: “It all happened very quickly. We just packed our stuff up and came here.”

    Several people in the leisure centre are still wearing their pyjamas, according to a BBC reporter there.

    Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson has told PA news agency there is a chance that the evacuated residents may have to stay overnight while the area around their homes is made safe.

    What have eyewitnesses said?

    One Whelford resident has described the moment he said he saw police apprehend the suspects.

    Jeff told the BBC he heard “shouting outside his front door”, although he could not be sure where it came from.

    He said he then looked out of his window and saw “people being held by police outside”.

    Another man, Julian Tudsbery, said: “There were these three vans that arrived in the middle of the village and a resident reported them to the police straight away.”

    Fairford Royal Air Force Base
    Gloucestershire
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram Copy Link
    Gulf News Week

    Related Posts

    Most Viewed News

    Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer saysThe woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, alleged she was drugged and raped by several men on Cornell's campus.9 mins agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026
    Most Viewed News

    Meghan says she was informed about 'disturbing allegations' against her father in 2018The Duchess of Sussex issues a statement following reports her estranged father is being investigated over child sex abuse images in the Philippines.43 mins agoUK

    October 23, 2026
    Most Viewed News

    Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC findsThe UN human rights chief Volker Türk says the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.1 hr agoAfrica

    October 23, 2026
    Most Viewed News

    Powerful earthquake hits Tibet killing 16 people, reports sayThe quake hit a mountainous, sparsely-populated area in what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region.3 hrs agoChina

    October 23, 2026
    Most Viewed News

    UK detective raped by colleague says police's handling of case 'like being raped again'Linda Williams was attacked by David Carrick, who was jailed in 2023 for sexual offences against 12 women.2 hrs agoUK

    October 23, 2026
    Most Viewed News

    Trump says Musk has restored access to Ukraine's Starlink networkUkraine relies on Starlink for a range of military uses – its owner Elon Musk has repeatedly denied restricting access.7 hrs agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Editors Picks

    Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer saysThe woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, alleged she was drugged and raped by several men on Cornell's campus.9 mins agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026

    Meghan says she was informed about 'disturbing allegations' against her father in 2018The Duchess of Sussex issues a statement following reports her estranged father is being investigated over child sex abuse images in the Philippines.43 mins agoUK

    October 23, 2026

    Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC findsThe UN human rights chief Volker Türk says the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.1 hr agoAfrica

    October 23, 2026

    Powerful earthquake hits Tibet killing 16 people, reports sayThe quake hit a mountainous, sparsely-populated area in what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region.3 hrs agoChina

    October 23, 2026
    Latest Posts

    Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer saysThe woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, alleged she was drugged and raped by several men on Cornell's campus.9 mins agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026

    Meghan says she was informed about 'disturbing allegations' against her father in 2018The Duchess of Sussex issues a statement following reports her estranged father is being investigated over child sex abuse images in the Philippines.43 mins agoUK

    October 23, 2026

    Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC findsThe UN human rights chief Volker Türk says the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.1 hr agoAfrica

    October 23, 2026

    Subscribe to News

    Get the latest sports news from NewsSite about world, sports and politics.

    Advertisement
    Demo
    Gulf News Week

    Your source for the serious news. This demo is crafted specifically to exhibit the use of the theme as a news site. Visit our main page for more demos.

    We're social. Connect with us:

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Latest Posts

    Woman at centre of Cornell University rape inquiry in 'constant fear', lawyer saysThe woman, known anonymously as Jane Doe, alleged she was drugged and raped by several men on Cornell's campus.9 mins agoUS & Canada

    October 23, 2026

    Meghan says she was informed about 'disturbing allegations' against her father in 2018The Duchess of Sussex issues a statement following reports her estranged father is being investigated over child sex abuse images in the Philippines.43 mins agoUK

    October 23, 2026

    Hospitals deliberately targeted by Sudan's RSF fighters, BBC findsThe UN human rights chief Volker Türk says the multiple attacks may amount to war crimes.1 hr agoAfrica

    October 23, 2026

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    © 2026 Gulf News Week. Designed by HAM Digital Media.
    • Home
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.