No explosives found at RAF Fairford in Britain, only petrol

British police have released five young men aged 23 to 25 who were detained on Sunday near RAF Fairford in western England on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. According to police, searches found no explosives — only canisters of petrol, and the investigation is continuing. The decision to release them surprised US President Donald Trump.

Three suspicious vans arrived on Sunday at RAF Fairford, the Royal Air Force base from which American bombers took off to strike Iran. Army bomb disposal experts checked the vehicles, after which police detained five men and took them into custody on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack. Residents of around eighty nearby homes were advised to evacuate.

“I understand why this decision has surprised many people, but I want to stress that it was made in the course of the investigation and is based on experience and a careful assessment of police powers,” said Laurence Taylor, head of Britain's counter-terrorism police.

Police said searches were also carried out at several properties in London, and the operation around the Fairford base is expected to conclude by Wednesday. All five men remain subjects of the investigation, although they are now free.

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he was surprised by the release of the five young Britons. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News that the case “clearly involves a foreign actor,” but did not name a specific country or give further details.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz