A Rockwell B1 Lancer heavy bomber took off from RAF Fairford on Sunday as the US withdrew all of its bombers from the UK military base. This decision comes amid an ongoing investigation by counter-terror police following a significant incident on September 27 involving three "suspicious vehicles" near the airbase.

Withdrawal Details

A statement from a US department official confirmed that approximately a dozen B-1 bombers were removed from RAF Fairford and returned to their home stations in America. The US did not provide a specific reason for the withdrawal, but sources in Whitehall indicated that it was a response to the aforementioned incident.

Incident Background

On September 27, police were alerted to suspicious vehicles approaching the base operated by the US Air Force (USAF). Initially, five men aged between 23 and 25 were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and later for preparing a terrorist act. They were released on bail after what police described as an "investigative decision". A sixth man, a UK-Iranian national, was arrested later in London on similar charges and has also been released on bail.