Man (66) arrested over car bomb attack outside Belfast police station

POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have arrested a man in connection with a car bomb that exploded outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast over the weekend. 

The PSNI said the 66-year-old man has been detained under the Terrorism Act. 

A number of searches are ongoing in both east Belfast and west Belfast in relation to the incident, and police have reiterated their appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

The attack has been condemned by Northern Ireland’s political leaders and chief constable, who voiced their condemnation at a joint press conference yesterday.

A male delivery driver was hijacked in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast on Saturday. A device was placed inside the vehicle and he was ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station.

The car exploded outside the station as people were being evacuated. Nobody was injured.

The incident is being treated by the police as attempted murder.

It is the second such car bomb incident in recent weeks, after a delivery driver was forced at gunpoint to transport the device to Lurgan police station in an incident blamed on dissident republicans. The device did not explode on that occasion.

The PSNI yesterday released body-worn footage of the moment of the explosion. The body cam footage shows officers evacuating homes in Dunmurry as the bomb detonated.

New IRA claim responsibility

The dissident republican group the New IRA has claimed responsibility for the attack through a statement to the Irish News newspaper.

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The paper reported the dissident republican group claim that the attack had been an attempt to kill police officers as they tried to leave the station.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “We are aware of the claim and the investigation remains ongoing.”

A high visibility policing operation is to be launched across Northern Ireland to counter the dissident republican threat, a senior officer has said.

Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said the policing operation would involve more vehicle checkpoints and officers on patrol which “may cause some inconvenience to the general public”.

He said: “Communities across Northern Ireland will see an increase in policing activity as a high visibility policing operation gets under way to counter the ongoing dissident threat.

“We have concerns about threats across Northern Ireland from dissident groups, particularly in the wake of the recent attack on Dunmurry police station, which demonstrated a clear intent to damage and disrupt communities and potentially injure and kill police officers and staff.

“Our job is to keep communities safe and also our officers who bravely serve to protect these communities.

“We are taking every reasonable step to do so. However, we need the active support of our communities to do this.”

He added: “This operation will involve more vehicle checkpoints and patrolling officers. This may cause some inconvenience to the general public, however, we are asking for patience and the support of communities as we work hard to keep us all safe.”

Policing Board chairman Brendan Mullan said: “Those who have issued the claim of responsibility for the attack on Dunmurry station are living in a past that nobody wants.

“As a board we welcome the strength of political and community support voiced for policing over recent days, and the collective condemnation of those who want to bring terror to our community and harm to our policing service.

“It is completely unacceptable that police officers, and their families, are subject to such threats.

“We urge anyone who has any information that can assist the investigation to report it to the PSNI or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”

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