British media report that the large security operation yesterday at the Fairford air force base was set in motion after a phone call from a farmer's wife who lives nearby. Shortly after midnight, when she returned from a party with her husband, she saw three white vans parked on a road just outside the village of Whelford.
"We had to turn around. When we did, we saw a group of men wearing balaclavas running ahead of us," she told The Sun. "Some tried to hide. We realized that something serious was really going on." She suspects the men fled because the couple's car resembles the vehicles used by the base's security.
The woman tried to call the base, but no one answered. There was no answering machine or it was not activated. At 00:45 local time, she called the local police. She also sent a warning through the neighborhood app.
Terror Suspicion
The local police responded quickly. Within ten minutes, heavily armed officers were patrolling all over Whelford. They managed to arrest five men. They are suspected of preparing a terrorist attack. The woman who raised the alarm is convinced that more men escaped, as she saw more than five.
The British army's bomb disposal unit is investigating whether there are explosives in cars near the base:
Later on Sunday morning, the police urgently evacuated 85 houses close to where the vans were parked because explosives might be present there. "I didn't even get to brush my teeth," one resident told the newspaper. "We had no idea what was going on, but we knew it was serious."
The vans were searched with a robot. What was found has not been disclosed. The vans bear the company name Fuel2You and a phone number, the BBC writes.
That company does not exist and calling the number automatically redirects to voicemail. A similarly named company, Fuel2U, does exist, but its owner told the BBC that the vans and phone number are not his.
If the arrested men indeed planned an attack, they were possibly directed by Iran. Since March, American bombers have been stationed at the base and have carried out attacks on Iran. In July, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard stated that any base involved in those attacks is considered a legitimate target.
Concrete Walls Built
In recent weeks, security measures around the base have been significantly increased. More security personnel were visible and heavy vehicles such as tractors and bulldozers appeared behind the entrance gates, presumably to prevent anyone from ramming the gates. Behind some entrances, concrete walls were even placed.
The farmer's wife who raised the alarm is surprised that despite all these extra security measures, an "able amateur" like her had to raise the alarm. Without her phone call, the men and white vans might not have been noticed.
Interrogation
Defense Minister Streeting thanked the woman this morning on the BBC TV program Today. According to the BBC, the arrested men are still being interrogated. Streeting said he cannot disclose anything about their identities, intentions, or motivations.
Regarding the possible involvement of Iran, he only said that this country can cause harm to the British or its allies if given the chance.