Provisional IRA blamed for army base blast

The Provisional IRA was accused of involvement in a bombing outside an army base in Derry early today.

Nobody was hurt in the blast, close to the Courthouse in Bishop Street, but it was the latest in a series of attacks in the city and neighbouring areas, heightening fears of more violence during the General Election campaign.

The dissident republican group, the Real IRA, has been blamed for orchestrating the campaign, but Unionists in Derry today claimed the Provisionals were directly involved as well.

Gregory Campbell, a member of the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist Party and a minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly, said: "Unionists in this area are making no distinction.

"Given the frequency of these attacks it would be impossible for the so-called dissidents to operate on this scale without the knowledge and support of the Provisional IRA.

"They are involved as well, and I have no doubt they were responsible for what happened in Derry today."

The blast caused little damage, a Royal Ulster Constabulary spokesman said.

Meanwhile a man was injured by a blast from a shotgun fired through the front door of a house at Rasharkin, Co Antrim. He was hurt in the head and body, but not badly.

In Coleraine, Co Derry, pipe bombs were thrown at two homes. One failed to explode, but five minutes later a second went off after being pushed through the letter box.

Nobody was hurt.