Two charged with national security offences over RAF Fairford incident Two British nationals have been charged with national security offences in connection with an incident at RAF Fairford in September. Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Nouman Essghir, also 24, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. The incident occurred on 27 September, when three suspicious vans were seen near the US-operated airbase in Gloucestershire. Although no explosive materials were found, a quantity of petrol was seized by police, leading to a huge cordon being put up around the base for several days. The US had been using RAF Fairford as a forward operating location for its Air Force, flying B-1 and B-52 bombers to the Middle East in recent months. The charges come as the UK and US have increased their military presence in the region, with the UK approving a request for the base to be used for defensive strikes against Iran. Iran has previously denied any involvement in the incident.