Gardaí who arrested four suspected "Real IRA" members as they attempted to blow up a house in Cork on Tuesday night believe the attack was part of an extortion racket.
Armed gardaí arrested four Cork men after they ignited a white Hiace van outside the house of a self-employed businessman in Fairway estate in Little Island near Cork city.
The incident occurred shortly after 11.30 p.m. when four men parked a van on the lawn outside the detached house owned by a local man Mr Barry Sheehan.
As gardaí moved in, the van, which was loaded with canisters of a flammable liquid, burst into flames outside the house.
The men fled on foot but they were followed and arrested by detectives operating a surveillance operation.
There was one occupant in the house at the time and he was uninjured.
Residents said they heard muffled bangs and saw a massive blaze. They also observed as many as 10 armed gardaí wearing bullet-proof vests.
The men, aged between 19 and 22 years were arrested under the Offences Against the State Act and brought to Mayfield and Togher Garda stations. They can be held for 72 hours. Two units of the Cork County Fire Brigade from Cork city and Cobh rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Such was the heat that much of the front lawn was burned away and the side of a car in the driveway of the house was badly damaged.
Garda sources have confirmed that the surveillance was part of an ongoing operation aimed at apprehending members of the "Real IRA" in Cork.
"If the van was parked against the house this could have been a total inferno. Gardaí were operating a surveillance operation on these men over the recent weeks.
"It is part of an ongoing operation into the "Real IRA" in County Cork - this is only one element of an 18-month investigation into the terrorist group.
"This incident is part of an extortion racket in the area" said the source.
Resident Mr Michael Manley said : "I am shocked by this - you expect it in other areas but not here.
"There are just 37 houses in this estate and this is a very quiet location - there has never been any trouble.
"I saw a lot of activity - there was a lot of Garda squad cars and unmarked vehicles also."