The United States has withdrawn all of its bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, following a security incident at the British military base that is being investigated by counter-terrorism police.
A US Department of Defense official confirmed on Sunday that all American bombers stationed at the base had been returned to their home stations in the United States.
Washington did not give a reason for the withdrawal, but the move comes days after a major security incident near the airbase on September 27.
Police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles close to RAF Fairford, leading to the arrest of five men on suspicion of terrorism-related offences. They were later released on police bail.
A sixth man, a British-Iranian national, was subsequently arrested and also released on bail.
Whitehall sources have not disputed reports that the US decision was linked to the incident at the airbase.
According to reports, the withdrawal was a military and operational decision rather than a political one, and was communicated by the US military to its British counterparts.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
