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Special forces soldiers will monitor crowds in London’s Trafalgar Square, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh.

They will be on hand to take out any attackers as throngs of Brits put two fingers up to terror and hit bars and parties to welcome in 2018.

Sharp-shooters will be equipped with the Barrett Light .50 rifle, which can stop a vehicle at almost a mile.

Jihadis have made sinister threats online to cause chaos at New Year’s Eve celebrations.

(Image: ALAMY / GETTY)

One disturbing mock-up image showed an explosion on the banks of the Thames during the annual fireworks party.

Tens of thousands go to the event every year, with around 500,000 expected tonight.

The video also shows a train derailing, as well as a car ploughing into a crowd.

It also calls on terrorists to attack nightclubs.

(Image: GETTY)

The Foreign Office has warned people to be “vigilant” at events across Europe.

But revellers can feel safer knowing a team of snipers will be guarding them.

The SAS units will use night-vision equipment and thermal-imaging cameras to allow them to take out terrorists at night and in any weather.

Teams will also monitor the cities from helicopters.

Their rifles are capable of achieving a first-round kill at more than 1,400m during daylight and up to 800m at night.

Shooting vehicles being used as weapons is now believed to be one of the best ways of stopping terrorist attacks.

The SAS believe both the Westminster and London Bridge attacks could have been halted earlier if a sniper with a Barrett .50 had been present.

They can bring a vehicle to a halt by killing the driver or destroying the engine block.

(Image: GETTY - STOCK)

One source said last night: “New Year’s Eve is a nightmare for police and security forces because so many people are concentrated in small areas.

“Snipers have been positioned at key locations to ensure all routes leading to areas like Trafalgar Square are covered.

“They will be using armour-piercing ammunition and the world’s most powerful sniper rifle.

“It was initially designed to take out lightly armoured vehicles, so it should have no trouble stopping a car.”

The current UK threat level is “severe”, but senior intelligence sources last night refused to rule out raising it to “critical” – meaning an attack is imminent.

The Ministry of Defence said it does not comment on special forces operations.

The London Mayor’s Office, which is organising tonight’s fireworks, said: “We encourage everyone to be vigilant and to report anything of concern to a steward or police officer.”