Man arrested over shooting of soldiers at barracks

Published on Friday 15 May 2009 19:00

A 44-YEAR-OLD man was arrested yesterday for questioning about the murder of two soldiers in Northern Ireland.

He was detained by police during searches in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, in connection with the shootings at the Massereene Barracks in Antrim in March.

A police spokesman said yesterday that further search operations were ongoing in Dungannon and Pomeroy, County Tyrone.

One man, prominent dissident republican Colin Duffy, has so far been charged with the murders. He is also accused of five counts of attempted murder, and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham, and Patrick Azimkar, 21, from London, were shot dead as they collected pizzas from delivery men outside the gates of the army base, just before they were due to leave for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Five other people were injured.

The Real IRA claimed responsibility for the attack, two days before a policeman was shot dead by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon, County Armagh.