LONDON, United Kingdom, Sep 28 — Five men have been arrested on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offences after a major incident was declared at an RAF airbase in the west of England.

📻 Breaking It Down

Three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford and the police were called, before a huge operation in Gloucestershire saw the area put under cordon on Sunday morning.

On Monday Counter Terrorism Policing said the suspects were all UK nationals in their 20s.

The force is working to establish the full circumstances and any motivation behind the incident.

📌 What You Need to Know

Gloucestershire 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 its officers near Whelford, a 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, police said, around which a 400m (1,312ft) cordon is in place.

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.

Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) is leading the investigation into the incident. The BBC understands the operation was not intelligence led.

RAF Fairford is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4km) south of the town of Fairford, which sits along the River Coln.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya