Trump says suspects in incident near UK base used by US bombers 'wanted to do big damage'

US President Donald Trump said Sunday (local time) that suspects behind a suspected terrorist incident near a British Royal Air Force base used by US bombers "wanted to do big damage."

Trump made the remarks to reporters while traveling to the Chicago area in Illinois to attend the Presidents Cup golf tournament, saying the United States was cooperating with Britain on the investigation.

"We've been watching them for a long time and ultimately caught them," Trump also said, according to AFP. He did not elaborate on what kind of damage the suspects had intended, but his comments appeared designed to suggest a foiled terror plot and to highlight US-UK cooperation in preventing the incident.

British police arrested five people Sunday after receiving reports of three suspicious vehicles moving near RAF Fairford in the early hours of the morning, and have launched an investigation.

RAF Fairford, located about 150 kilometers west of London, has been used by the United States to launch bombers during military operations against Iran. That has raised the possibility that forces acting on Iran's behalf may have been plotting an attack targeting the US and Britain. British police have classified the case as a major incident and handed investigative command to their counterterrorism unit.