Published Saturday, 14 August 2010
Two children aged 12 and the two-year-old needed hospital treatment after being cut by flying debris, when a no-warning bomb exploded in a wheelie bin in the Kilmaine Street area during police searches on Saturday.
Officers were on alert following a call to the Samaritans, claiming a bomb had been left at a Model School - but no details were given of which town, prompting searches in a number of potential areas.
PSNI Chief Inspector Sam Cordner hit out at those behind the attack.
"This no-warning explosion occurred in North Street in Lurgan and was an obvious attempt to kill police or injure police officers providing a service to this community, as they responded to a neighbouring area following a very vague warning that a device had been left at a local school," he said.
Confirming that no police officers were in the North Street area at the time of the explosion, he added: "It is an absolute miracle that these children were not more seriously injured by this sickening attack on the most vulnerable members of our community."
Police later dealt with several security alerts in the town.
SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly condemned those responsible.
"This was a despicable attempt to draw police in and then set off a bomb precisely where they would have been trying to keep other people back out of danger, and that is why the children were injured by debris from the explosion," she said.
Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd said those behind the bombs "do not care who they hurt or kill and are void of any sense of social or political responsibility".
He added: "The leaderships of the groups behind this senseless behaviour have to accept responsibility even if their membership is incapable of doing so.
"It is past the time for them to call an end to this pointless oppression of the nationalist community."
DUP Policing Board member Jonathan Bell said: "We have seen the inevitable result of terrorism through innocent children being injured. Northern Ireland has chosen a new way forward, one infinitely better than the futility of terrorism."