Four arrested for bomb attempt 'from Real IRA'

Gardaí in Cork, who arrested four men in connection with an apparent attempt to bomb a house in the Little Island area of the city overnight, had the men under surveillance at the time.

All are suspected members of the Real IRA.

Details of the incident are unclear, but the four were arrested after a van reportedly packed with explosives and petrol was set alight outside the house shortly after midnight.

The van apparently exploded, but nobody was injured in the blast.

However, a number of nearby houses were evacuated while the vehicle was made safe.

Gardaí are today trying to establish a motive for the attack.

The four men arrested in connection with the incident are all in their late teens and early 20s and are believed to be from the Blarney area.

Detectives apparently had the four under surveillance and moved in as they threw petrol bombs through the windows of the house targeted in this morning's incident.

Three of the men were arrested while trying to flee the scene and the fourth at a different location a short time later.