Five men arrested over suspected bomb plot at UK air base to be released on bail

British police said on Monday they had released on bail five men who were arrested on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences near a British airbase used by the US, although they remain under investigation.

The men were detained early Sunday after three vans were spotted near RAF Fairford, a UK-owned base that has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East.

Investigators haven't concluded whether the incident was state-backed. They are investigating a possible link to Iran, Russia or non-state-backed militant groups. RAF Fairford has also been the focus of protests by anti-war campaigners.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in July the base was a legitimate target.

The five suspects, who haven't been named, were initially held over suspected explosives offenses, and later also arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Police said that the men are all British nationals from London and in their 20s.

The head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said that the suspects face stringent bail conditions and "absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry".

The Iranian Embassy in London said that it "categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations" about the incident.

Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans. The villagers hadn't been able to go home as of Monday morning, and the vans hadn't been moved yet.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)