Bomb found in crackdown on dissidents
A bomb was discovered today during a security alert linked to dissident republicans in the North.
Police removed several items for forensic examination after the second day of searches in the Craigavon area of Co Armagh.
A total of nine men remain in custody after a massive security force probe for weapons and explosives in the area.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Inspector Pauline Shields said: “We set out to disrupt dissident republicans. A number of arrests were made and police seized both firearms and ammunition.
“These could have been used to kill or maim either police officers or members of the public.”
The explosive was found in the Brownlow Road area of Craigavon today.
Computers and other articles likely to be of use to terrorists were also seized.
After yesterday’s raids officers were attacked by youths throwing petrol bombs and stones.
At one stage there were attempts to hijack a lorry and a bus, which was set alight. Police said nobody was injured.
A shotgun and ammunition were recovered when homes were raided.
The operation was one of the biggest ever mounted against criminal elements in the so-called Continuity IRA (CIRA), which is opposed to the peace process, and lasted nearly 12 hours.
Houses and fields were checked in the Brownlow area of Lurgan, where there have been a number of failed terrorist attacks on police.
Army bomb disposal experts and sniffer dogs were also called in.
Flats at Drumbeg and Aldervale were also searched by detectives and officers belonging to specialist tactical support groups.
Ms Shields added: “There is no place for the small minority of criminals, from wherever they emanate, who seem determined to wreak terror.
“The police are equally determined to keep up the pressure on them.”
