A car bomb exploded outside a police station near Belfast overnight, after a hijacked vehicle was driven to the site and detonated, police said, launching an attempted murder investigation.
The explosion occurred in Dunmurry, southwest of Belfast, after a delivery driver’s vehicle was hijacked, fitted with what police described as a “gas cylinder-type device,” and driven to the station, where it detonated around midnight on April 26th. The blast set the car on fire but no injuries were reported.
The police suspect dissident republicans saying there were “very many similarities” with a failed bombing in Lurgan on March 30th, which was claimed by the New IRA. They said the group is a key line of inquiry, although the investigation remains at an early stage.
So-called dissident republicans claim to support a united Ireland and do not accept the landmark 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of warfare known as “the Troubles.” On June 30th, 2023, the United States added the New IRA onto its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
The authorities warned the incident showed that paramilitary groups still retain “murderous intent and capability,” adding that police officers had evacuated nearby homes to protect the public. The local police’s terrorism investigation unit has launched an attempted murder investigation.
Political leaders condemned the attack, with First Minister Michelle O’Neill saying those responsible “speak for absolutely no one,” while Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson described the incident as “deeply concerning” and called for those behind it to face the full force of the law.
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