Soldiers defuse bomb at SF member's house

Soldiers today defused two bombs planted at a Sinn Féin member’s home in Northern Ireland.

Devices were found under a car and at the side of the house in Ballymena, Co Antrim – triggering fears of a new sectarian campaign in the town.

Republicans who linked the alert to other death threats and attacks claimed hate-fuelled loyalists could be driven to murder unless their representatives take urgent control.

Philip McGuigan, a Sinn Féin Assemblyman for North Antrim, warned: “It’s going to end up with someone kicked to death on a Friday or Saturday night because of this naked sectarianism.”

His chilling assessment came as British army explosives experts dealt with two sophisticated pipe bombs at a party colleague’s house in the town’s Doury Road.

The man, who did not want to be identified, has lived in the property with his sister for several years.

Several homes and a nearby health centre were evacuated as troops moved in.

Mr McGuigan said the attack was the latest in a rising campaign.

The loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association forced a teenage nationalist to quit Ballymena earlier this month following death threats, he claimed.

A Catholic soccer side was also forced to flee after being confronted by a sectarian mob during a match in the town’s local league, he added.

Urging Protestant representatives to help halt the intimidation, Mr McGuigan said: “There is clearly an agenda at work here to intimidate the local nationalist and republican population.

“Despite this the response of the various unionist politicians in the town has been muted to say the least.”

Billy McCaughey, who represents the Ulster Volunteer Force-linked Progressive Unionist Party in Ballymena, called for an end to the attacks.

He said: “Whoever is involved in these incidents should consider the greater good and take on board many of the positive developments happening politically in Ballymena.

“They should think about whether or not using pipe bombs is the best way to express political disagreement.”

But DUP MLA Mervyn Storey remained sceptical about the bomb attack, arguing that it may have been manipulated ahead of the looming European elections.