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Police attacked by rocket grenade Attacks 'could have killed seven'
(about 18 hours later)
Three police officers have been treated for severe shock and minor injuries after a rocket attack in Fermanagh. Dissident republican attacks in the north and west could have killed seven people, a senior PSNI officer has said.
A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a foot patrol in Lisnaskea at about 2300 BST on Saturday. It failed to explode. Deputy Chief Constable Paul Leighton was speaking after a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a PSNI foot patrol in Lisnaskea on Saturday.
Shortly after the attack, a car was found burning at Chapel Brae. Police are investigating a possible link. "We've had seven officers now in this area who have been attacked over the past number of months - that's seven potential deaths," he said.
Army technical officers attended the scene. The main street in Lisnaskea remains closed. Two police officers were treated for shock and one for minor injuries.
Nearby homes have been evacuated. "Society wants to move on. We all have of the future - we may have slightly different visions of how that turns out - but the one thing that's common in those visions is that violence plays no part in it," DCC Leighton said.
Security Minister Paul Goggins condemned the attack. Fermanagh Ulster Unionist assembly member Tom Elliot said the Army should return to the streets to combat the dissident threat.
"The criminals who carried out this attack are trying to take Northern Ireland back to its violent past. They will not succeed, society has moved on," he said. "We've had attempted murders in Londonderry and Dungannon and Spamount and now Lisnaskea.
PSNI Chief Superintendent Michael Skuce said: "This was clearly a case of attempted murder. We could have been dealing with multiple casualties this morning. "I'm not so sure with the reduction of police resources in the province and the removal of the army that the PSNI have the resources at this present time to deal with this escalation, and if it's not nipped in the bud very quickly it will get worse.
"There are a number of families out there who will be counting their blessings that they are not grieving for a loved one." "I think if the police don't have the resources themselves, they may need to bring the army back in for a short period," he said.
"The disregard that this shows for the lives of the local community and my officers is unbelievable."
Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board Professor Sir Desmond Rea condemned the attack.
"Those who carried out this deplorable attack have nothing to offer our society - they have no support from the community or any political party and will deliver nothing to our community," he said.
"Such attacks will not derail the huge progress which has taken place and continues to be made in policing in Northern Ireland."