UK arrests another British national related to investigation of incident near RAF Fairford

LONDON — A 22-year-old British national was arrested on Tuesday morning in central London as part of an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing into the potential plot last month near RAF Fairford, a military base that at the time hosted U.S. bombers.

The man arrested on Tuesday morning was detained on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, Counter Terrorism Policing said in a press release.

“This remains a live investigation and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford,” Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement.

The arrest, which came as public interest in the investigation remained high, coincided with the search of a property nearby in Westminster, police said.

“We’re acutely aware of the public interest in this investigation, and we are working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire,” Evans said on Tuesday. “We remain committed to investigating all possible angles.”

Five men in their twenties were arrested in late September in a town near the base on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offenses, officials said. They were later released on bail, but were subject to “stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others,” Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, said at the time.

A sixth man, a 25-year-old dual U.K.-Iranian national, was later arrested and also released on bail, officials said.

The U.S. this week said it had pulled its heavy bombers from the air base, which had been used to launch strikes against Iran. President Donald Trump said Monday that the move was prompted by a direct threat to the installation as authorities investigate a suspected plot to attack it.

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