Oglaigh na hEireann escalate campaign

Breakaway IRA group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack on the PSNI police on the northern outskirts of Belfast on Saturday night.

Is it understood the Oglaigh na hEireann (the Gaelic name for IRA) placed a deactivated gun and a handful of bullets in undergrowth to lure a PSNI patrol to the spot, where a landmine was primed.

Although successfully detonated, there were no injuries.

The PSNI later briefed journalists that a remote detonation had been used to carry out the attack, marking an apparent technical advance by the group. They said the device harnessed mobile-phone technology and was of a type not previously used in the conflict.

Using a recognised codeword, ONH said on Tuesday that it was responsible.

The PSNI said today [Friday] they also found a mortar rocket in the Ballygomartin Road area of west Belfast, aimed at New Barnsley police station.

It is the fourth similar incident in the area in recent weeks.

And an alert in south Belfast was declared a hoax. British army bomb-disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion off the Ormeau Road after being called to examine a suspicious object.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Caral Ni Chuilin described the militants who have escalated their campaigns in recent weeks as “visionless”.

She said: “Change in the north is happening and will continue to happen regardless of those who are wedded to killing for the sake of killing.”

Urgent Appeal