An SAS soldier swooped on a suspected terrorist lair following the explosion at Liverpool Women's Hospital, according to reports.

The elite unit’s mission emerged in images sent to the Daily Mirror proving the UK military is involved in smashing terror plots on British streets.

Several properties were raided after Sunday’s taxi cab blast outside of the hospital, the Mirror reports.

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It is understood the SAS were brought in to lead the raids amid fears more bombers may have been holed up.

One of the biggest fears was that a terror cell had planned for the raids and armed themselves with suicide vests and weapons.

A heavily-armed elite SAS team was secretly sent in on the Liverpool counter-terror raid
A heavily-armed elite SAS team was secretly sent in on the Liverpool counter-terror raid

Part of the special forces unit’s training is to eliminate potential bombers quickly before they have time to detonate devices.

A senior source is reported to have said: “The decision to send in the SAS was made very quickly because of their high level of training. The police counter-terror teams are extremely good but special forces are so highly trained that when the doors go in they don’t flinch.

“They are able to make split-second decisions with no hesitation and this saves lives in what may have turned into a high-intensity, very risky situation.”

Bomber Emad Al Swealmeen was initially thought to have been planning an attack at Liverpool Cathedral on Remembrance Sunday and switched to the hospital due to heavy traffic.

But the 32 year-old is now thought to have been targeting the hospital all along. He was killed when his bomb went off, though it is thought the device activated prematurely and only partially detonated.