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Northern Ireland police say device under army officer’s car was not bomb | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A suspect device found under the car of a female army officer was not a viable bomb, the police in Northern Ireland confirmed on Friday night. | |
Supt Simon Walls of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “While police are keeping an open mind the item is not believed to be suspicious. | |
“Although this incident caused disruption to local residents, my colleagues and I are committed to keeping people safe and this operation proves that this is our upmost priority.” | |
Army bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion under the officer’s car in Portadown, Co Armagh, around 4.45pm on Friday. | |
But further examination of the device proved that it was not a bomb although a security warning had been issued to members of the army and PSNI in the Mid Ulster area this week about a possible threat from dissident Irish republican terror groups. | |
A number of houses in the area were evacuated for several as a result of the security alert, while part of Corbracky Road was closed to traffic and diversions were in place. | |
Suspicion will fall on one of the three main dissident republican terror groups. | Suspicion will fall on one of the three main dissident republican terror groups. |
A local nationalist member of the Northern Ireland assembly described those who placed the package as evil. The SDLP deputy leader, Dolores Kelly, pointed out that the incident had happened near a secondary school and two primary schools. | |
“This was an evil act against an individual, and those who carried it out have no regard for the safety of the wider public through their wanton recklessness for the lives of many. | “This was an evil act against an individual, and those who carried it out have no regard for the safety of the wider public through their wanton recklessness for the lives of many. |
“This acts as a timely reminder for people to be vigilant in light of potential attacks and review personal security and make sure that, as neighbours, they look out for one another.” | “This acts as a timely reminder for people to be vigilant in light of potential attacks and review personal security and make sure that, as neighbours, they look out for one another.” |
The new IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na Éireann continue with their armed campaigns despite calls for them to end, not only from their political opponents but those who share their view that Sinn Féin has sold out its republican principles by sharing power in Northern Ireland. | |
On Thursday, it emerged that the Irish police had foiled an attempted Christmas firebombing campaign by the new IRA across the border in Northern Ireland. | |
Dozens of suspected dissident republicans have been arrested and a number of setpiece terror attacks thwarted in 2014. MI5 has been involved in the anti-terrorist operations, including allegedly bugging meetings of the Continuity IRA’s “army council”. |
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