‘New IRA’ main suspects behind letter bombs
A wave of crude letter bombs sent to Armed Forces recruiting offices is likely to be a publicity stunt by dissident republicans rather than a significant new bombing campaign
A newly-formed dissident republican group called the ‘New IRA’ is the main suspect in the hunt for letter bombers targeting British military recruitment offices, security sources said.
The group formed two years ago from remnants of the Real IRA and other paramilitary factions is most likely behind seven crude parcel bombs delivered to careers offices this week.
Recruiting centres remain on high alert, but open as usual, after the wave of basic, but viable bombs was sent to addresses across the south east of England.
Anti terrorism sources said all the decipherable postmarks on the A4 packages could be traced back to the Republic of Ireland, with at least two sent from Dublin and one sent from a border county.
Sources also revealed more details of the bombs, which were made from basic packets of black explosive powder rigged to crude detonators designed to explode when the parcel was opened.
None of the devices detonated, and sources said they would have caused little more than minor burns to the victim.
Downing Street has confirmed the devices “bore the hallmarks of Northern Ireland-related terrorism”.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombs, but security sources said the dissident republican ‘New IRA’ was the “strongest line of enquiry”.
The devices are believed to be very similar to two sent late last year to Chief Constable Matt Baggott, head of the Northern Ireland police, and the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers.
The New IRA was only formed in the summer of 2012, but is now the biggest of the violent republican factions. It was formed as an amalgamation of the Real IRA, linked to the 1998 Omagh bombing, a paramilitary vigilante gang called Republican Action Against Drugs in Londonderry and ‘independent’ armed republican units in east Tyrone.
It is based around a hard core of experienced former Provisional IRA paramilitaries. However sources said the week’s wave of bombs was amateurish and unsophisticated compared with similar campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s, suggesting it was a publicity stunt rather than a significant bombing campaign to kill or maim. Paramilitary groups have also been weakened by informants and arrests, undermining their ability to wage deadly attacks.
The bombs sparked cross-party condemnation in Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness, deputy first minister, called it “an attack on the peace process”, adding “those responsible belong in the past. Their futile acts must be condemned.”
Bombs first arrived at recruiting offices in Reading and Chatham on Tuesday. They were followed by another to Aldershot on Wednesday and then parcels to Brighton, Slough, Canterbury and Oxford on Friday.
No further bombs were received yesterday, but there was a false alarm at one office.
