Bomb defused at British Army building

Dissident republicans are thought to have planted a bomb at a British army officer training corps building in south Belfast.

The bomb, described by police as a “viable device”, was made safe by the British Army after It was discovered at the Queen’s University Officers Training Corps on the Malone Road area on Sunday afternoon.

The Malone Road was closed during the alert, causing severe traffic Jams whIch lasted for several hours. The incident was condemned by both the SDLP and Sinn Fein.

“The disruption caused by this device serves no purpose other that to disrupt the lives of the local population and shows a total disregard for the community,” said Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey.

“Those responsible have nothing to offer other than causing disruption and creating the potential for someone to lose their lives.

“They are out of touch with the will of the vast majority of the people in Ireland who have indicated that they want to move forward without this type of disruption,” he said.

PARCEL BOMB

Last week, a parcel bomb exploded at the Royal Mail office in central Belfast on Friday but caused no injuries, the first such incident in more than a year.

The PSNI described the bomb as a “crude device” and declined to say to whom the parcel had been addressed.

Another suspicious parcel sparked a further alert at the same office on Thursday. It later proved to be a “false alarm”.

British Army bomb experts were called to the sorting office at Tomb Street on Thursday evening, but the main proved to be harmless.

Urgent Appeal