Man arrested over Armagh bomb
A 42-year-old man has been arrested by police following the discovery of a bomb in Armagh City on Thursday.
Friday, 20 November 2009
Bomb disposal experts were called to deal with a suspicious device in Friary Road after a member of the public raised the alert on Wednesday night.
They found a viable explosive, described as a "horizontal mortar-type device", which police said was intended to kill officers.
The man was detained in the Armagh area by detectives from the PSNI's serious crime branch. He has been taken to Antrim police station for questioning.
District Commander Chief Superintendent Alasdair Robinson praised the member of the local community who first raised the alarm.
It is believed dissident republicans were responsible for the incident.
"The level of threat from dissident republican from this area is very high," UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy told UTV.
"I think there is very serious concerns and I hope very much that the Chief Constable will deploy the necessary resources to this area to ensure the safety of the PSNI officers and the general safety of the public."
Sinn Fein told UTV there was no community support for this type of action.
"I think the broader community in Armagh does not support this type of action and they have expressed their opinion on many occasion", Sinn Fein MLA for Newry and Armagh Cathal Boylan said.
"I would like to question those people as to how they feel actions like this would gain the support of the community," he added.
The suspicious device was made safe by Army technical officers, who later confirmed it was a viable explosive capable of causing serious injury or death.
The bomb is thought to have included a pipe and a command wire.
© UTV News