Police station blast: dissident republicans blamed
Dissident republicans were today blamed for an explosion outside a police station in Northern Ireland.
Up to six shots were also heard at Castlewellan RUC base in Co Down late last night.
There were no injuries and the station was not damaged.
Police were today mounting fresh searches of the area amid fears that further devices had been planted.
Eamon O’Neill, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly who lives opposite the base, suggested it could have been carried out by paramilitaries opposed to the peace process.
"The presumption is it's likely to be dissident republicans," the SDLP MLA said.
Last year, an RUC officer lost his leg after being caught in an explosion as he returned to the same station from a Hallowe’en night patrol.
Although renegade loyalists were initially blamed for that bomb, suspicion later switched to dissident republicans.
Mr O’Neill, who said last night’s explosion reminded him of a blast bomb or hand grenade, launched a stinging attack on those behind the latest attack.
He said: "It doesn’t particularly matter which group it came from, clearly this was an attempt to do harm by murderous fascists who haven’t listened to what the people have said.
"They don’t want any more political violence."
