Police in North seize material for major bomb

POLICE in the North believe they foiled a major bomb attack yesterday when they seized almost 115kg of homemade explosives.

Four men were questioned about the suspected dissident republican plot in Lurgan, Co Armagh, amid warnings from a senior officer that a strike which would have caused carnage was imminent.

The men were arrested during raids on a breaker's yard, where construction of the bomb was at an advanced stage. A car was also taken away for forensic examination.

Police later came under petrol bomb attack as tensions heightened in the area.

Supt Alan Todd, Lurgan's police commander, could not identify any target but said the explosives posed a huge threat in a residential area.

"Material of this sort is, by its very nature, unstable, and therefore people preparing these things do so with the intent to use it as soon as possible," he said.

"That means a device was being constructed for immediate use, but, more importantly, it means that unstable explosive substances, ready for use, were being prepared in what is a busy residential area behind a commercial premises."

The Continuity IRA, a splinter terrorist group opposed to the North's peace process, is the main suspect.

The four men arrested, aged 22, 26, 36 and 46, were held under the Terrorism Act. They can be questioned for up to seven days before being charged.

Three were arrested early yesterday morning at the scene on the town's Antrim Road, close to the railway line. A fourth man was detained later.

Mr Todd said: "We believe it's linked to dissident republican organisations."

Crowds of youths attacked police at the scene, throwing petrol bombs, bottles, stones and paint bombs at security lines. Railway services were halted during the trouble.

There were also reports of fires being started near the yard where the components were found.

The discovery provoked outrage, with the SDLP's Dolores Kelly saying: "The people of Lurgan are horrified that dissident republicans have been plotting and planning a major attack.

"There's no doubt these dissident republicans were intent on causing major trauma and damage.

"They were also playing with the lives of the people of Lurgan by making such a sophisticated device in the heart of the community."

Ulster Unionist MLA Samuel Gardiner praised the police success in disrupting the planned bombing.

"The most chilling aspect of this find is the fact that the bomb material was unstable and because of this it would have been used quite soon," he said.