Republicans blamed as women held hostage in post office raid

Dissident republicans are being blamed for a post office robbery in the North in which two women were held hostage overnight.

Three armed men forced their way into the women's flat in Strabane, Co Tyrone, in the early hours of this morning.

One of the women was subsequently taken to Donegal, while the other was ordered to drive to the sub-post office in Strabane where she works and remove a quantity of cash.

She was then ordered to hand the money over to the gang in the car park of a church in Doneyloop, Co Donegal.

The PSNI says the pair were both "extremely traumatised" by the experience.