RAF Fairford incident 'clearly involves' foreign actor, says US secretary of state

Summary

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the weekend incident at RAF Fairford "clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor"

Speaking to US media, he doesn't give further details but thanks UK authorities for being "cooperative" and "helpful"

Five men arrested on suspicion of terror offences near the base, which is used by the US military, were released on bail on Monday - here's what else we know

The men - all UK nationals in their 20s who live in London - had been arrested under the Explosives Act and on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act

AC Laurence Taylor, the head of UK counter terrorism policing, has said officers are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including if proxies working on behalf of a foreign state could've been involved - the Iranian embassy in the UK denies involvement

A large cordon remains in place near the base while 85 households, evacuated on Sunday, have been told they can return home

One local tells the BBC those who've gone home are being told to stay inside and not to take photos. "I want to wait until I know more... it feels super dodge to me," she says

Are you in the area?

0:39 Marco Rubio: 'Foreign actor' involved in RAF Fairford incident. 00:00:39, play video Marco Rubio: 'Foreign actor' involved in RAF Fairford incident

0:52 Counter-terror police announce suspects are bailed. 00:00:52, play video Counter-terror police announce suspects are bailed

0:55 Police cordons still in place around RAF Fairford. 00:00:55, play video Police cordons still in place around RAF Fairford

1:03 I saw masked men, farmer who called 999 says. 00:01:03, play video I saw masked men, farmer who called 999 says

1:07 Defence secretary thanks farmer who rang police. 00:01:07, play video Defence secretary thanks farmer who rang police

1:18 At the scene of counter-terrorism operation. 00:01:18, play video At the scene of counter-terrorism operation

0:29 Five arrested were 'looking to do big damage', Trump says. 00:00:29, play video Five arrested were 'looking to do big damage', Trump says

1:38 Five men arrested following reports of 'three suspicious vehicles' near RAF base. 00:01:38, play video Five men arrested following reports of 'three suspicious vehicles' near RAF base

0:23 Aerial footage shows bomb disposal robot inspecting vans. 00:00:23, play video Aerial footage shows bomb disposal robot inspecting vans

0:48 Police told us to leave our home immediately, says local resident. 00:00:48, play video Police told us to leave our home immediately, says local resident

0:39 BBC reports from RAF base after major incident declared. 00:00:39, play video BBC reports from RAF base after major incident declared

0:20 Emergency services attend scene near RAF Fairford. 00:00:20, play video Emergency services attend scene near RAF Fairford

Live Reporting

Edited by Steve Mellen, with Marie Lennon reporting from the scene

Residents beginning to drive through cordon published at 08:48 BST 08:48 BST The cordon around the three vans has been in place since Sunday. But some residents are beginning to enter and leave the cordon this morning on the western side. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Police keeping 'open mind' about direction of investigation published at 08:38 BST 08:38 BST Image source, PA Media Image caption, The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing speaking outside New Scotland Yard on Monday Yesterday Counter Terrorism Police gave more detail about the five men arrested near RAF Fairford on Sunday morning. All five are UK nationals, it said: a 24-year-old from Camden, north London, three men aged 23, 24 and 25 from Westminster, and one aged 24 from Willesden, north-west London. The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, said the men were released on bail under "stringent conditions" on Monday, but "absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry". He acknowledged speculation around the possibility of Iranian involvement, and said the force was keeping "an open mind in this investigation". "But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state," he said. Iran's London embassy said it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" of Iranian involvement. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Police likely did not know about threat in advance, says counter-terrorism expert published at 08:24 BST 08:24 BST Chris Phillips, the former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office tells BBC Radio 5 Live he does not believe police were fully aware of what was unfolding at RAF Fairford on Sunday. He tells Naga Munchetty: "Police in this country don't allow terrorists to get hold of weapons and certainly they don't allow them to have van-fulls of explosives before they interdict, so I would have anticipated them having been arrested before that. "Certainly historically we would have never allow that to happen. Historically they would have been stopped prior even to putting the explosives in any vehicle." Naga asks: "So the intimation is they didn't know?" Phillips responds: "I think so - I think that's probably the most likely scenario." He adds that there are many possible explanations. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

This story is only just beginning published at 08:10 BST 08:10 BST Daniel Sandford UK correspondent Image source, Reuters Image caption, A huge security operation was launched at RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday morning I think we are left reading the room because criminal proceedings are active, but one of the things we can say with some certainty is that there was some suspicion before the arrests on Sunday that that there might be some kind of plot to attack the base at RAF Fairford. There were clear signs that security was being stepped up last week. I think the question is now, given that Marco Rubio and Donald Trump are clearly hinting that this involved the hand of a foreign actor, what role did the men who were arrested in the early hours of Sunday play and to what extent were they aware of that? Clearly the fact that they were released on bail yesterday shows there was not sufficient evidence at that point to hold them any further or to bring charges against them. On the face of it, you have five men sitting in a village in three vans in the early hours of Sunday morning without any explosives, because that seems to have been the outcome of the tests done on the things found in the back of those vans. We don't know what these men said to police in their interviews, but a key line of enquiry in the second phase of this investigation is whether there was some kind of controlling hand behind the activities and whether the people at the scene were really aware of they were involved in. I think that's where this key phrase from the head of counter terrorism yesterday comes in, where he said his detectives are looking at this from "every possible angle" , including that this activity might have been committed by individuals, knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state. This is just the beginning of this investigation, not anywhere near the end. The focus will be on trying to work out what led to those men being there, and if they were unknowingly caught up in something or whether they were there for perfectly innocent reasons. That means means going through telephones, computers, searches at addresses - that is going to be the next stage of the investigation Talking to military and police sources, I get the impression this is a story which is only just beginning - it is nowhere near being over. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

The scene at RAF Fairford this morning published at 08:00 BST 08:00 BST A cordon is still in place around three vans which are being examined by counter-terrorism police. While residents are being allowed back to their homes, there are still armed police stationed around RAF Fairford. Image source, Reuters Image source, Reuters Image source, Reuters Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Some residents hesitant to return home published at 07:46 BST 07:46 BST Marie Lennon Reporting from the scene There is still a heavily guarded police cordon around the RAF base at Fairford. The residents who live in the nearby village of Whelford have been told they can move home, but there is still hesitancy among them. One local tells the BBC most have returned home, but police are telling them to stay inside and not take any photos. "I haven’t gone home as I want to wait until I know more about what the hell happened, as it feels super dodge to me," she says. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Cordon remains around three vans at scene published at 07:34 BST 07:34 BST Nick Johnson Reporting from RAF Fairford Image caption, Aerial footage shows a remote-controlled bomb disposal robot examining the white vans A cordon remains around the three vans which counter-terrorism police have been examining for possible explosive devices. I am assuming that no viable explosives have yet been found. The five men who were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences near the RAF Fairford military base have been released under investigation, subject to "stringent" bail conditions. When people are detained under the terrorist act, they can be held for 14 days without charge. The fact that these men were detained and then released on police bail after about 24 hours, suggests that police were pretty sure that other lines of inquiry needed to be followed. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

RAF Fairford: What we've learned in the past 48 hours published at 07:20 BST 07:20 BST Image source, EPA/Shutterstock If you're just joining us, here's a recap of what we've learned over the past 48 hours as police investigate the incident at RAF Fairford. Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) released five British men in their early 20s on bail on Monday after they were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the Explosives Act The men remain under investigation and their release is "subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others" On Sunday at about 00:45 BST, Gloucestershire Police received a call relating to three "suspicious vehicles" heading towards RAF Fairford, an airbase that has been used by the US to launch attacks against Iran Shortly after this call, at 01:36 BST, a local farmer says she called police about "a large group of hooded and masked men" close to the base While President Trump has said the suspects were "under view for a long time", the BBC understands the operation was not "intelligence-led" CTP said officers were exploring "multiple lines of inquiry", including whether proxies or individuals working on behalf of a foreign state were involved. Local residents have told the BBC about heightened security around the airbase in the days and hours leading up to the arrests A cordon remains in place near the base, while 85 households who were evacuated were told on Monday by Gloucestershire police that they could return home BBC Verify has looked at the "Fuel 2 You" vans found near RAF Fairford but found no evidence it is a genuine company Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

'Clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor' - Marco Rubio published at 07:11 BST 07:11 BST To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Media caption, Marco Rubio says 'foreign actor' involved in RAF Fairford incident US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Fox News network's "Hannity" programme that it was clear a "foreign actor" had been involved. Without providing evidence or giving further details, he told the TV show: "I have to be careful, there are some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons. Suffice it to say, that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened, in the UK over the weekend, is a very serious situation. "It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor." "I won’t get into great detail about that yet. I do want to thank the authorities in the United Kingdom who have been very co-operative and on top of it. "I know a lot of people are disturbed by the news that some of these people have been released on bail, some of the people are being investigated. Obviously we’re engaging with them on all of that. "But suffice it to say, beyond that I would argue that they’ve been very co-operative and very helpful, on something that’s a very serious incident." Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Welcome back published at 07:07 BST 07:07 BST Good morning, we are resuming our live coverage of the major incident at RAF Fairford. We have a reporter at the scene as local residents are now able to return home, the day after the five men arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning were released under investigation. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Five men released on police bail as evacuated residents return home published at 20:52 BST 28 September 20:52 BST 28 September Gabriela Pomeroy Live reporter Image source, Reuters The five men who were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences near the RAF Fairford military base have been released on bail, UK counter-terrorism police said this afternoon. The men - who are all British - remain under investigation, "as we explore multiple lines of inquiry , the head of counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, told reporters. Police are exploring whether proxies or individuals working on behalf of a foreign state were involved, he said. The release of the five men sits at odds with our being told this was a "major incident ," the BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner writes. A large cordon remains in place near the base, while 85 households who were evacuated on Sunday have now been told by Gloucestershire Police that they can return home. Many questions remain unanswered about the incident, including how President Trump's comments on the matter relate to the developments. The US president said on Sunday: "We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage.” After the five men were released on Monday, Trump weighed in again, saying he wouldn't have let them out on bail. We are ending our live coverage now but you can read our news story here . Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

USAF responds to report of unguarded gate published at 20:44 BST 28 September 20:44 BST 28 September Christopher Mace Live page reporter Earlier we brought you a picture appearing to show an open and unguarded gate and barrier at RAF Fairford , reportedly taken on Thursday 24 September. We sent the image to the United States Air Force this afternoon and they have now issued a response: "For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures. "The 501st Combat Support Wing remains vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our US service members, civilians, contractors, and their families across the European theater." They added: "We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families." Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Few answers from Trump at Oval Office Q+A published at 20:32 BST 28 September 20:32 BST 28 September Bernd Debusmann Jr White House reporter As we've reported, President Trump was briefly asked about the incident at RAF Fairford. His answers, however, did not provide much clarity - other than to make clear he was surprised and perhaps somewhat dismayed the five men arrested on Sunday have been released on bail, and that he views the co-operation with UK authorities as "very good". While Trump said that Iran "might" be linked to the incident, he declined to provide any further details on what makes him believe that. Since the US began striking Iran in late February, the White House and Trump have repeatedly described Iran's government as one that has been linked to terrorist attacks on US targets, stretching back to the founding of the Islamic Republic and bombings and kidnappings that took place in Lebanon in early 1980s. Notably, there seems to be a disconnect between what Trump is saying and what British authorities are saying regarding the incident, with Trump saying that "we know everything" about the suspects and police in the UK stating that this was not an intelligence-led operation. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Trump says he would not have released RAF Fairford suspects on bail published at 20:16 BST 28 September 20:16 BST 28 September Image source, EPA Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump says he wouldn't have let the five men arrested near RAF Fairford out on bail. "I'm surprised they released them, I wouldn't have," he says. "We know everything about them, we would not have released them." He adds that the UK has been "very good" and has worked with the US "very closely". Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Trump currently speaking in the Oval Office published at 19:39 BST 28 September 19:39 BST 28 September Image source, Getty Images US President Trump is currently speaking in the Oval Office - currently talking about domestic US matters - but we'll bring you anything he mentions on the RAF Fairford incident. The incident is relevant to the US, as its air force operates out of the UK base, where its supersonic B-1 bombers are located. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Streeting says five individuals under 'stringent' bail conditions published at 19:21 BST 28 September 19:21 BST 28 September Image source, UK Pool Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has praised the policing response as "exemplary" following the incident near RAF Fairford, and says the men released are "under stringent bail conditions". Speaking from Liverpool, following a Cobra meeting chaired by Andy Burnham, Streeting says that ministers are "acutely aware" that the events have "caused considerable disruption to the local community and also wider public concern". He adds: "The response of our policing, counter-terrorism policing, and security services has been exemplary." Streeting says that decisions around bail are for the police, and tells the public that "those five individuals are under stringent bail conditions", adding that "we remain with a live investigation". Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Gloucestershire police chief thanks residents for 'continued support' published at 19:13 BST 28 September 19:13 BST 28 September Image source, PA Announcing that evacuated residents are able to return to their homes, Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Temporary Chief Constable Maggie Blyth has thanked the community for its "continued support and assistance". She says she knows the incidents of the last few days will have caused "anxiety and uncertainty", but adds the force is doing "everything we can to return your lives to normality". Blyth reiterates that Counter Terrorism Policing are leading the investigation, and that there are many questions Gloucestershire Police "simply cannot answer". She says the last 48 hours have thrown "our usually quiet and peaceful communities under the spotlight of the international media". Blyth adds: "There have been some reports in the media that have raised questions about our response, and I want to reassure people we have responded appropriately and quickly to all calls." Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Evacuated residents can return home, police say published at 19:06 BST 28 September 19:06 BST 28 September Residents who were evacuated from around 85 homes near RAF Fairford because of a suspected plot to attack the airbase are now able to return home, Gloucestershire Police have said. But police say a cordon remains in place around the three suspicious vehicles which were spotted near the military base in the early hours of Sunday morning. People who were evacuated in the early hours of Sunday morning were taken to a nearby leisure centre which was set up for emergency respite. Those who could not stay with family or friends were put up on Sunday night in hotels across Swindon and Cirencester. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

No visible security at RAF Fairford gate days before incident, driver claims published at 18:58 BST 28 September 18:58 BST 28 September Christopher Mace Live page reporter A driver has said he was "absolutely amazed" that when he drove past RAF Fairford on Thursday there was reportedly no security at the base's gate. He shared rear-facing dashcam images which appear to show an entrance to RAF Fairford with its gates and security barrier open. The driver told the BBC he drove past the entrance twice within 45 minutes and was "shocked" to see no visible security on either occasion. "I could easily have walked onto or driven onto the base," he says. "I was absolutely amazed that you've got active bombers in there and no security at the gate." BBC Verify has confirmed the location shown in the image as being RAF Fairford, but said it was unable to validate claims that security personnel were not present. The image was recorded just days before the incident that is now the subject of an investigation . We have approached the United States Air Force, which is stationed at RAF Fairford, for comment. Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing

Latest from the scene published at 18:42 BST 28 September 18:42 BST 28 September Leigh Boobyer Live page reporter A large police presence remains near RAF Fairford while counter-terror police continue with their investigation. Some residents have been allowed to return to their homes this evening after being forced to flee early on Sunday morning. Here's the latest photographs from the scene. Image caption, Officers have allowed some residents to travel through the cordon so they can return home Image source, Reuters Image source, Getty Images Image source, Getty Images Image source, PA Media Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing