Bomb attack in Derry

A PSNI base in Derry was damaged in a dissident bomb attack early this morning.

The blast occurred at about 3.20am in a taxi which was parked outside Strand Road police station in Derry.

Significant damage was caused to the station and the perimeter wall but no one was injured in the incident.

The explosion followed a telephone warning that a device had been planted in front of the station.

However, it appears no attempt was made to clear the area around the device.

Conor Kelly, who lives in an apartment block near the police station, said nearby buildings had also ben damaged.

“I was still awake and reading when I heard an enormous noise like thunder and saw debris flying past my window,” he said.

“There were no alarms or attempts to evacuate the building.”

In May, a mortar rockert was fired at the same police station. It struck a wall but failed to explode.

The attack comes just weeks after Derry was picked to be UK City of Culture in 2013. It also comes ahead of a major sectarian march in the overwhelmingly nationalist city later this month by the loyalist Apprentice Boys organisation.

The attack was condemned by the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the two unionist parties.

“This was a cowardly, dangerous and vulgar act. It is extremely fortunate that no injury has been caused or life lost as a result of this attack,” said the area’s SDLP MP, Mark Durkan.

“Those responsible for this incident have achieved nothing and this campaign of violence will achieve nothing,” he added.

No organisation has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Urgent Appeal