Three men arrested over bomb under Northern Ireland police officers' car
Trio detained in connection with plot by New IRA to kill two PSNI officers – a married couple – with a bomb under their car at their home near Derry City airport.
Three men have been arrested in connection with a New IRA plot to kill two Northern Ireland police officers – a married couple – with a bomb placed under their family car.
The three, aged in their 20s or 30s, were detained on Thursday in Co Donegal by police in the Irish Republic.
The device was found outside the officer’s home in Eglinton, not far from Derry City airport, in the early hours of the morning.
It has since emerged that the officer and his wife are both serving members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
A security operation swung into place after the PSNI received reports of suspicious activity outside the house around 2.40am on Thursday.
A senior PSNI officer confirmed that army bomb disposal experts called into the Glenradel area of Eglinton had found an “under-vehicle improvised explosive device”.
Sources in the security services are pointing the finger at the dissident republican group the New IRA, which was criticised by a Northern Irish MP on Thursday as having no coherent political strategy.
A senior police officer confirmed that the PSNI believed republican dissidents were behind the murder attempt.
Republican dissidents join forces to form a new IRA
Read more
Mark Durkan, the SDLP MP for Foyle constituency, said: “These people are capable of using a viable device, but they don’t actually have a viable political strategy, no coherent message and it is not what the community want.
“Let’s be very clear about the support and sympathy and solidarity that we are offering to the police officer concerned.”
PSNI Supt Mark McEwan said the bomb was a stark reminder of the severe threat against police officers in the region.
He said: “This device had the potential to harm not only the officer but anyone in that residential area and those involved have shown a blatant disregard for human life.
“This is yet another example of the cowardly elements in our society who show no regard for the safety of local residents and the police officers who serve their community.
“We are obviously very thankful that this attack was thwarted and that no one was injured here this morning.
“Clearly there are people out there in today’s society who are still intent on causing murder and mayhem.”
Derry remains one of the few strongholds of the anti-peace process New IRA, which has carried out a number of attacks on the security forces over the past few years. However, the majority of its attempts to kill or maim police officers and soldiers have been thwarted across Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin also denounced those behind the booby-trap bomb plot. Derry councillor Paul Fleming said: “We are looking to the future and we will not be held back by those who want to drag us back to the past. It’s time these people caught up with the mood and wishes of the Irish people and abandon their activities.”
The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Mark Lindsay, has appealed for help from the public to apprehend those responsible.
Lindsay said: “There is a network of people responsible for this act of madness. They obtained the components for the device. They made the device, targeted the officer and planted it under the officer’s car in a cold-blooded attempt to murder.
“They didn’t care who else they killed or injured. Their only objective is to drag us back to darkness and hopelessness and I want to appeal to the community to help the police track down the culprits of this cowardly attack.
“All civilised societies require policing and officers do that job selflessly. No political objective will be furthered by any attempt to murder the men and women who protect us from those who have nothing to offer society.”
