Two men arrested over attempted murder of PSNI detective John Caldwell

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot near the sports complex in the Killyclogher Road area of Omagh (PA)

Two men have been arrested over the attempted murder of a senior police officer in Northern Ireland earlier this year.

The pair, aged 28 and 70, were arrested following separate searches in Co Tyrone on Friday morning.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot several times at a sports centre in Omagh in February.

He had been putting footballs into a car with his young son after coaching a youth sports team when he was targeted.

Mr Caldwell, who was critically ill for some time at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, was left with life-changing injuries.

On Friday, a 28-year-old man was arrested by detectives investigating the attempted murder following the search of a house in the Omagh area.

A 70-year-old man was also arrested following the search of a property in the Dungannon area.

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesperson said the two men have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast for questioning.

The latest two arrests bring the total number in the attempted murder investigation to 17.