Moment police robot blasts off doors of one of three white vans found near RAF base during counter-terror operation

This is the moment a police robot blasts the doors off one of the vans that was found near an RAF base in a suspected terror plot. 

The video, exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail, was captured on a resident's security camera and shows a fireball bursting from the rear of one of the white vehicles before a huge plume of smoke rises into the air.

Aerial footage captured by a helicopter had earlier shown a bomb disposal robot probing a trio of vans parked close to the airbase. 

The wheeled robot was seen travelling down a deserted rural road before approaching the vehicles. The rear doors of two of the vans were open and large black items could be seen scattered inside.

But the rear doors on the third van remained shut despite the robot's attempts.   

The local, who did not wish to be named, told this newspaper that they saw the controlled blast after reviewing their cameras when they were allowed back into their home. 

They said: 'You all saw how the robot was struggling to open the third van, so they obviously put a small explosive below to open it. There was a bit of a pop and a bit of smoke, and it was the only explosion that's been captured.'  

Five men, aged between 23 and 25, were detained outside RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and stripped of their clothes amid fears they were wearing suicide belts in the early hours of Sunday morning – but bailed within 36 hours. 

This is the moment a police robot blasts the doors off one of the vans that was found near an RAF base in a suspected terror plot

The footage, exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail, shows a fireball bursting from the rear of one of the white vehicles before a huge plume of smoke rises into the air

The suspects, all from London, remain under investigation, Counter Terrorism Policing said, while Tehran has 'categorically' denied any involvement in the alleged plot.

The resident said they were 'shocked' to find out the quintet had been released on bail before locals were allowed to return to their homes. 

They had been holed up in a leisure centre for the night, and, although they praised the council and police, said it 'seemed crazy' the five suspects were on bail but 'the villagers weren't allowed home until hours after that'. 

It came as it emerged last night that the alleged bomb plot was foiled when one of the suspects rang police himself. 

One of the five men arrested close to RAF Fairford in the early hours of Sunday called 999.

After receiving the 999 call, armed police rushed to the scene in Gloucestershire and rounded up the suspects, removing their clothing amid fears they may have been wearing suicide vests.

On Tuesday, police revealed that no improvised explosive devices were found in the three vans involved in the suspected terror plot.

In an update on the case, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said a quantity of petrol had been recovered from the vehicles. 

A farmer who came across the suspicious vans near the base in the early hours of Sunday said she saw 'eight to 10 masked men' running around in the woods and across fields. It is now understood those figures in the dark were armed police.

Why a suspect would call 999 is under investigation, with questions ranging from whether he was trying to back out of something or whether it may have been part of a plan.

One line of inquiry is understood to be whether the Iran-linked drama was not actually a foiled attack but a stunt, or calling card, to send a message to British and US authorities.

Iran said it 'categorically rejects' any involvement in the suspected plot. In a statement, its London embassy dismissed reports linking Tehran to the arrests as 'unfounded and malicious speculations'.

The embassy added: 'The circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK.

'The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives.'

The British nationals were detained on suspicion of terrorism and explosives offences on Sunday after three vans were found near RAF Fairford, a Gloucestershire base that has been used by the US military to carry out strikes against Iran.

Residents from around 85 evacuated households were allowed to return home on Monday. However, a police cordon remained in place around the vehicles as counter-terrorism officers continued to examine the scene.

Speaking to Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the incident 'clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor'.

He said: 'I have to be careful. There's some things I cannot say on the air for a lot of different reasons.

'Suffice it to say that what happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation.

'It's one that clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor. I won't get into great detail about that yet.'

Five men were pictured as police arrested them on terror charges near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. They are all British, from London, and in their 20s, police said - and have all been since released on bail

A farmer had alerted police to the vans as she thought they were suspicious because a phone number and lettering on the vehicles appeared to be fake. When she came across them in her car, they fled

He added: 'I know a lot of people are disturbed by the news that some of these people have been released on bail, as some of the people are being investigated and obviously we're engaging with them on all of that.

'Beyond that, I would argue that they've been very cooperative and very helpful on something that's a very serious incident.'