Dissidents' attack on police HQ in Belfast condemned

Published on Sunday 22 November 2009 22:12

POLICE and politicians last night condemned the latest attempts to derail Northern Ireland's peace process after a car bomb attack and gun battle involving suspected dissident republicans.

The 400lb bomb partially exploded after a vehicle broke through a barrier outside the HQ of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Belfast. Nobody was hurt but two men were seen escaping from the area of Clarendon Dock on Saturday night.

In a separate incident, four men were arrested yesterday after police exchanged fire with suspected dissident republi-cans in a garrison close to the border with the Irish Republic in County Fermanagh.

Northern Ireland police detained three in the area and Irish police held the fourth in Dooard, County Leitrim.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the attacks were designed to derail political progress, and added: "We have said from day one that the terrorist situation is severe. We have substantial resources being put into investigat-ing and thwarting these attacks.

"This attack is an attack on the well-being of everybody in Northern Ireland. This is not about an attack on policing or the Policing Board, this is an attack on young people and young people's future."

Northern Ireland Security Min- ister Paul Goggins said: "Very clearly these people are trying to undermine the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland in recent years. When attacks like these happen it brings people together with a strong message that these dissidents will not succeed."

Earlier this month the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) reported that the dissident republican threat in Northern Ireland was at its highest level for almost six years.

The IMC said the two main dissident republican groups, the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA, were working more closely together to increase the threat posed to security forces.