Police airlifted amid attack fears

Police and soldiers patrolling a republican stronghold in south Armagh were rescued by helicopter after a gang of men moved in on them, it emerged today.

Up to a dozen officers and troops investigating a suspected fuel laundering racket were winched out of the area amid fears they were about to be attacked.

Unionists who claimed they could have been injured or killed if the emergency operation had not been staged have urged the British government to scrap plans to dismantle nearby military bases.

Paul Berry, a former DUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said: “This is turning into a cowboys and indians situation where republicans police their own areas and stop the security forces carrying out their duties.”

It is believed as many as 15 men emerged from Jonesborough during a major security alert on the outskirts of the village 10 days ago.

Police and soldiers were called in to examine two tankers abandoned on the Edenappa Road amid fears that a bomb had been abandoned.

Instead they discovered pumping equipment used for illegal diesel inside the vehicles, security sources disclosed.

As they searched the lorries a man was arrested on suspicion of unrelated motoring offences.

But they were all airlifted out of the area at speed and taken to the nearby Bessbrook military base after the gang started heading in their direction.

A Sinn Fein spokesman in south Armagh said inquiries had been carried out but no-one had been found yet who knew about the incident.

But the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed officers and soldiers had been called in to probe the lorries.

A spokesman said: “A group of persons were observed in the vicinity of the village moving in the direction of the patrol.

“The patrol and the person arrested left the area by helicopter without incident.”

Mr Berry claimed lives were under threat if the rescue operation had not been staged.

“They would either have been seriously injured or killed as a result of this,” he said.”

The DUP man also hit out at British government plans to abolish Army spy towers and bases as part of the deadlocked peace process.

“It’s a matter of serious concern that while security in south Armagh is being reduced the police had to carry out an emergency because of the fear of attack from republicans.

“I will be asking the Chief Constable why demilitarisation is being allowed to continue if his officers do not feel safe to police the area.”