Mortar Bomb Plotters 'Absolutely Reckless'

Police in Northern Ireland have condemned a foiled mortar bomb plot as "absolutely reckless".

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry after the four live devices were discovered in the back of a van last night and around 100 homes were evacuated.

"These people were absolutely reckless," said Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin.

"They were prepared to drive a van with four live mortar bombs, ready to go, through a built-up area in Derry city, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk.

Chief superintendent Stephen Cargin said the plot was "absolutely reckless"

"It doesn't even bear thinking about what we could have been looking at today in terms of the consequences of these devices had they exploded."

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident republicans.

"A huge security operation has been under way for several hours after Sky sources confirmed that police intercepted at least three mortars."

Three men have been arrested, including two 37-year-olds and a 35-year-old.

A bomb disposal robot pictured at the scene

Blevins said: "We are being told by local people in the Letterkenny Road area that police stopped the van and there is some suggestion they stopped a motorbike at the same time before they made the arrests.

"The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle which has a Southern Irish registration number plate."

He added: "The foiled attack bears the stamp of dissident republicans who are opposed to the political settlement in Northern Ireland.

"Until recently, there were three different factions - the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann (soldiers of Ireland) - but they are reported to have amalgamated into one group calling itself The New IRA."

The discovery was made on the outskirts of Londonderry

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police are currently dealing with a security alert in the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry, following the discovery of a suspicious object in a vehicle.

"Approximately 100 homes have been evacuated and army technical officers are at the scene.

"Detectives from PSNI serious crime branch are dealing with the incident and are linking it with dissident republican activity."

Blevins said: "The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

The four contenders for Thursday's by-election are Sinn Fein Assembly Member Francie Molloy, independent Nigel Lutton, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Patsy McGlone and Eric Bullick of the cross-community Alliance Party.

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