Gangs of Irish nationalists hurled petrol bombs and other missiles at police sent to a County Armagh town after a hoax bomb alert, and another device exploded nearby, police said on Sunday.
The second device, which police said was clearly intended to kill officers, exploded after they responded to a telephone call in the town of Lurgan claiming a device allegedly fired at a police vehicle failed to explode.
A 1998 peace accord largely ended more than three decades of sectarian violence in which over 3,600 died.
But splinter groups continue a sporadic campaign of violence against the deal, which established a power-sharing administration between mostly Catholic Irish nationalists and Protestant loyalists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
It was during a lengthy security operation throughout Saturday that a bomb blew up, although the officers escaped injury.
“This was a clear and unequivocal murder attempt,” Superintendent David Moore said in a statement.
Read more at Reuters
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.