U.S withdraws all bombers from UK airbase

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London : The United States has withdrawn all its bombers from RAF Fairford in England, days after a suspected terror incident near the military base led to the arrest of six people.

A Pentagon official confirmed that the US aircraft had been returned to their home stations in America. The US did not give a specific reason for the move, saying its bomber force routinely operates from different locations based on operational requirements.

About a dozen B-1 bombers are believed to have been stationed at Fairford. Aircraft tracking services showed the bombers leaving the base on Sunday.

The move follows an incident on September 27, when police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base. Five British men aged between 23 and 25 were arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and preparing a terrorist act. They were later released on bail.

A sixth man, a 25-year-old British-Iranian national, was arrested in London on October 1 on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. He was also released on bail.

Counter-terrorism police have been investigating possible foreign involvement in the incident. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were indications that a foreign actor was involved, while UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were 'strong indications' of an Iranian connection. Iran has denied any involvement.

Police later said no improvised explosive devices had been found during searches linked to the investigation, although petrol was recovered from vehicles.

RAF Fairford has been an important operating base for US aircraft and has recently been used for missions connected to the conflict with Iran. Tehran had previously warned that British bases used for attacks on Iranian territory could be considered legitimate targets.

The US withdrawal comes as the investigation into the incident continues.