A farmer told the Telegraph that while driving home in the early morning of 27/9 after a party, she discovered three white vans blocking a secluded road near Whelford village, just a few hundred meters from the US Air Force's Fairford base.

As she turned her car around, she saw a group of masked individuals dispersing into the woods and fields, some heading towards Fairford base. She quickly drove away from the area and called the police. After stopping, she also messaged her village's WhatsApp group to warn everyone to lock their doors.

Five suspects arrested by English police in the early morning of 27/9. Photo: Telegraph

Less than 25 minutes later, five men were arrested. English police described the incident as a "serious security incident" involving explosives and deployed an explosive ordnance disposal team to inspect the three vans.

Video recorded by a local resident showed the men shirtless and handcuffed on the road. England's counter-terrorism police force stated they are leading the investigation into the bomb plot targeting Fairford base.

"I feel quite lucky thinking back to that moment and what could have happened if they had tried to stop me from leaving," the woman said. "I faced potential terrorists and may have prevented a terror plot. They had clearly just arrived. Thank goodness we discovered them."

She noted the vans immediately aroused her suspicion because the phone numbers and text on the back appeared fake.

One van displayed "FUEL 2YOU" in red on its side, along with a phone number with a Sheffield area code. However, the number was missing a digit and did not exist. The company name also yielded no Google search results and did not appear in business directories.

Fuel2U, a company with a similar name to the text painted on the van, denied any involvement in the plot to bomb the US base. The company stated its name was used without authorization and pledged to cooperate with authorities to clarify the situation.

Two vehicles linked to the plot targeting the US Air Force's Fairford base. Photo: Telegraph

Following the arrest of the five suspects, armed English police searched every house in the village. Hours later, authorities established a large security cordon, erected numerous checkpoints, and evacuated local residents to allow military engineers to inspect the suspicious vehicles.

At the Cirencester leisure center, families gathered in the cafe, constantly checking their phones for updates. Some elderly residents and children remained in their pajamas after leaving home. Jo, an 18-year resident of Whelford, stated that police knocked on her door around 7 h and instructed her family to leave immediately due to the serious nature of the incident.

Lucy Lewis, a former English army major and the country's first female bomb disposal expert, suggested the vans were large enough to carry a significant amount of explosives. The suspect group may have planned to use the vehicles to breach the base's perimeter fence and plant bombs under aircraft inside.

Lewis noted that the type of explosives used by the suspects could be made from fertilizer, given the difficulty of transporting large quantities of conventional explosives into England.

Location of Fairford base in England. Graphics: Sky News

Doctor Antonio Giustozzi, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), suggested the case showed hallmarks of a suicide attack involving multiple explosive-laden vehicles.

He proposed that the suspect group might have planned a multi-wave attack to penetrate Fairford base's layers of protection. The first vehicle would breach the gate, with others attempting to bypass subsequent security layers.

However, Giustozzi believed that given the level of protection at Fairford base, the suspect group was unlikely to penetrate deep enough to access US fighter jets.

Fairford Air Force base was constructed in 1943 and became operational a year later. The English air force operated the base until 1950, after which control transferred to the US Air Force. It serves as home to the B-1B strategic bomber squadron, as well as the 9th Reconnaissance Wing and the 501st Combat Support Wing of the US Air Force.

Since February, the English government has allowed US aircraft stationed there to conduct airstrikes on targets in Iran. Earlier this year, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned England would pay a price if it continued to permit US B-1 bombers to take off from this base.

Police cordon off the area near Fairford military airport on the morning of 27/9. Photo: State Six News

Vicki Evans, a senior national coordinator for the counter-terrorism police force, stated the investigation is in its early stages, and the nationality and identities of the suspect group have not been released.

US President Donald Trump stated on 27/9 that Washington had been informed of the Fairford base bomb plot, suggesting the arrested individuals "wanted to cause great damage" and "we have been watching them for a long time."

Thanh Danh (According to Telegraph)