Gardaí fear rise in hand grenade attacks

LIMERICK gardaí fear city criminals have armed themselves with an arsenal of powerful hand grenades brought in from Eastern Europe where they are manufactured.

A major investigation is underway into a grenade attack on Sunday the first of its kind in the city in which the sitting room of a house was blasted.

One senior detective said it was the work of a "psychopath".

The officer said a number of young children were in the room minutes before the grenade was thrown.

He said: "If anyone was in the room when it exploded they would have been killed."

Gardaí fear there may be up to 20 Eastern European made hand grenades in the hands of Limerick criminals.

Two grenades have been found previously during garda searches.

But Sunday's attack was the first time one of these grenades was used and detonated in the city.

A number of youths walked up to the home of Liam Kelly in Colbert Avenue, Janesboro, at around 4.45pm on Sunday.

One smashed a block through the front sitting room window and another threw the grenade into the room.

Within seconds it exploded.

Gardaí suspect that Mr Kelly, aged 39, who lives with his wife and young children, may have been targeted by a drugs gang based in Ballinacurra Weston.

The same gang are also main players in the city feud.

Gardaí believe Sunday's attack was not feud-related.

A senior garda source said: "We are extremely concerned that an explosive device such as this was used. It is the first time this kind of device has been used in an attack in Limerick and it is a very worrying development."

Gardaí suspect that the grenades, which originate in Eastern Europe, are being brought in with drugs.

A huge number of hand guns have been obtained by Limerick criminals through drugs shipments.

Garda technical experts spent yesterday at the scene and fragments have been sent to the ballistics section at garda headquarters for examination.

A number of pipe bombs have also been found in the possession of criminal gangs in the city.

A sophisticated tilt switch mercury bomb was found in a raid in a house near Mungret. The house had been rented by one of the main gangs involved in the city feud.