PSNI continue crackdown on dissident republicans

Police in the North have resumed their search operation against dissident republicans.

A total of nine men remain in custody after a massive security force probe for weapons and explosives in Craigavon, Co Armagh, yesterday.

Later, officers involved in the investigation were attacked by youths throwing petrol bombs and stones.

At one stage there were attempts to hijack a lorry and a bus, which was set alight. Police said nobody was injured.

A shotgun and ammunition were recovered when homes were raided.

The operation was one of the biggest ever mounted against criminal elements in the so-called Continuity IRA (CIRA), which is opposed to the peace process, and lasted nearly 12 hours.

Houses and fields were checked in the Brownlow area of Lurgan, where there have been a number of failed terrorist attacks on police.

Army bomb disposal experts and sniffer dogs were also called in.

Flats at Drumbeg and Aldervale were also searched by detectives and officers belonging to specialist tactical support groups.

Police said today's action was on a much reduced scale and added that they intended to complete their work as quickly as possible.