LONDON — US President Donald Trump commented on the arrest of five men in the UK, identified by authorities as suspects in a possible plot to attack RAF Fairford, a facility used by British and US forces.
Trump asserted that the individuals were already known to US
authorities and claimed they had been under surveillance for an extended
period.
“We had them under surveillance for a long time,” the
president stated, referring to the operation that resulted in the arrests.
The arrests occurred after British authorities detected
suspicious activity involving several vehicles in the vicinity of the military
installation. Police deployed specialized teams and established a security
perimeter while the vehicles and the surrounding area were inspected.
RAF Fairford is a strategic British Royal Air Force
installation that also hosts and receives operations from US military forces,
making any threat against the base a security matter for both countries. UK
authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the intentions of
those arrested and to establish whether there is an organization or group
behind the plot.