Arms find made in Belfast

A substantial arms find made in Belfast was today being linked to the Provisional IRA.

Three men were being questioned by police after the seizure of the haul in the south of the city.

Guns, ammunition and bomb parts were discovered at a house in the nationalist lower end of the Ormeau Road, said police.

A PSNI spokeswoman said the weapons had been under the control of “mainstream republicans“.

The haul included six handguns, an assault rifle, six timer power units for use with bombs and a “very large” quantity of ammunition.

The arrests were made when the find was made at a house in Essex Street on Saturday night.

The weapons were undergoing forensic and ballistic examination.