Petrol bombs thrown during hoax alert
A security alert in Lurgan was an elaborate hoax planned to draw police into the area, the PSNI say.
Officers came under “sustained attack” from petrol bombs, missiles and two other hoax devices as they attended the scene of the alert at premises on North Street.
No-one was injured during the incident, and the area is now calm.
Several houses were evacuated and roads closed in the Co Armagh town as army bomb squad technicians carried out examinations on the device.
Cordons have been lifted, however police are continuing to advise motorists to avoid the area.
The railway line between Lisburn and Portadown remains closed until further notice, with bus services in operation.
Translink said: “Passengers will be bussed between Belfast Central and Newry Rail Station however Enterprise services will still operate between Portadown and Dublin Connolly.
The SDLP’s Dolores Kelly has condemned those behind the hoax.
“This is yet another incident that portrays Lurgan in a bad light and one which all the decent and hard-working people of the area are fed up experiencing,” the Upper Bann MLA said.
“Children coming home from school could so easily have been caught up in this.”
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
