Bomb destined for police station
A bomb found in a car and made safe was destined for a police station, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.
It was recovered in Co Fermanagh not far from the luxury Lough Erne golf resort where this June’s G8 conference of world leaders is being held. Dissident republicans are prime suspects.
PSNI district commander Pauline Shields said: “The people responsible for this have no regard for the lives of anyone in our community. It is fortunate that no-one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this reckless act.” The security alert on the Derrylin Road, Enniskillen, has ended.
Ms Shields added: “Although investigations are at an early stage it is our assessment at present that this vehicle was destined for Lisnaskea PSNI station.”
Following the report of a suspect vehicle in the area in the early hours of Friday a security operation was put in place which continued through the night until approximately 11am this morning.
Residents were evacuated from their homes and Army technical officers carried out a clearance operation on the suspicious car and a viable device was made safe.
Ms Shields added: “Once again our community has been disrupted and the lives of residents put at risk by an element intent on causing loss of life and disruption.
“The people who carried out this act are not part of the society within which the majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to live. The subsequent complex operation has tied up resources that would otherwise be dealing with community issues.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said: “The abandoned device dealt with by PSNI sadly reminds us that there are still a small minority who are determined to damage communities and cause death and disruption. Those responsible for it have neither mandate nor legitimacy; they are totally out of touch with what the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland want.”
DUP Stormont MLA Arlene Foster said those responsible were intent on taking life but had to abandon transport of the bomb. She said Lisnaskea police station was in a built up area with homes and churches nearby.
