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Massereene soldiers remembered

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Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey
Solemn tributes were paid to two British soldiers gunned down by the Real IRA outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim on the first anniversary of their deaths.

The Royal British Legion held a poignant memorial service on the spot outside Massereene barracks in Antrim where Sappers Patrick Azimkar, 21, from London and Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham were gunned down by the terrorist group.

A lone piper played a lament for the fallen soldiers while a crowd of around 100 people stood in silence with heads bowed.

Church leaders from all the main denominations in Northern Ireland then spoke at the short service.

Afterwards wreaths were laid in front of the gates where the two young soldiers lost their lives.

Inside the military compound, the Army held its own private memorial for the sappers who were hours from being deployed to Afghanistan when they were killed.

Already dressed in desert fatigues in readiness to board a flight to the war zone, they were collecting a pizza at the barracks' gates when two gunmen walked across the road and opened fire before fleeing in a getaway car.

Two pizza delivery men and two other military personnel were seriously injured in the attack by violent extremists opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process.

Two men, including high profile Lurgan dissident Colin Duffy, have been charged with the murders and attempted murders.

But police believe others were involved.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Peter Farrar, urged anyone with information to come forward.

"The police investigation into the murders of sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey remains active and ongoing," he said.

"One year on since this atrocity, Mark and Patrick's families still feel a tremendous amount of grief. We can only hope that in time, that grief will ease."

Two days after the sappers' murders, police constable Stephen Carroll was shot dead by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon, Co Armagh.

As well as the two charged with the Massereene killings, 13 others have been arrested and questioned in connection with the attack during the last 12 months.

Mr Farrar said there are more people in the community who could have information that could help his officers.

"Officers from the PSNI Serious Crime Branch are leading this investigation and have been encouraged by the response from members of the public who have made contact with the investigation team to assist them with their inquiries," said Mr Farrar.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for their support. It is obvious that the right thinking people of Northern Ireland abhor violence and do not want to relive the past".

"We believe there are others who have not yet come forward. They could provide police with information. It is to these people we make a direct appeal".

© UTV News

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At 23:22 on 07 March 2010, The Realist wrote:
Face to Face I've yet to see it Colin I've seen bombs fall from 20,000 ft tho and I've seen allot of roadside bombs..If you do obtain footage of major combat face to face please send me the link...PS real footage colin nothing from ITV,BBC etc that shows British soldiers fire hopelessly at the invisible enemy...There's no difference between a suicide bomber or uk fighter bomber or gunmen in antrim they all kill indiscriminately for political reasons.
At 17:29 on 07 March 2010, colin wrote:
these were two soldiers going to fight in a war where the enemy fight them face to face. murdered by cowards who skulk about in the dark and only take on soft targets who are unarmed and pizza delivery men
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