British police make seventh arrest in connection with airbase terror plot

Counterterrorism police on Tuesday arrested a British citizen living in London on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The suspect was a 22-year-old male, police said. He was the seventh person arrested in an ongoing investigation into a potential terrorist plot threatening the RAF Fairford military base in Gloucestershire. Police also searched a London property while arresting the suspect, they said.

Police arrested the first five suspects, all British citizens in their 20s, near the base just over a week ago. A total of 85 nearby households were evacuated while a bomb squad worked around the suspects’ vehicles. A sixth suspect arrested recently is a British-Iranian dual citizen. All of those suspects have since been released on bail.

Police haven’t officially determined the motive behind the plot, but American bombers used for some strikes against Iran were stationed at the base until a few days ago. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said foreign actors were involved in the plot. However, Iran has denied involvement.

Dig deeper: Read my prior report on the incident for more details.