BREAKING NEWS: ESPLOSIONE A NORTH BELFAST
Esplosione nei pressi della Territorial Army di North Belfast
Sono attualmente in corso indagini della PSNI su un’esplosione avvenuta intorno all’1.30 – 2.00 di oggi giovedì 22 ottobre nei pressi della Belfast Territorial Army nell’area di Antrim Road, a North Belfast.
Una testimone, una donna di 40 anni residente nell’area, ha dichiarato di aver udito uno scoppio verso l’1.00 di notte, che ha scosso l’intera abitazione. “Non ero sicura di cosa fosse”.
Gli artificieri del British Army stanno ancora esaminando un oggetto sospetto, rinvenuto dalla polizia chiamata ad ispezionare la zona di Ashfield Crescent.
Non ci sono notizie di feriti e l’area è stata transennata
Sotto esame l’intera area circostante la base armata.
Un portavoce del Ministero della Difesa ha dichiarato che erano presenti delle guardie all’interno della base. Stando al sito del ministero, The North Irish Horse (un’unità del Royal Armoured Corp) ha base presso il Dunmore Park Camp.
Nigel Dodds, DUP, si è espresso in merito all’accaduto presso la House of Commons, giudicando di sollievo la notizia di nessun ferito nell’attacco.
“Non ho alcun dubbio che i responsabili di questo malvagio attacco saranno delusi dal fatto di non essere riusciti nel loro intento omicida e che nessuno perso la vita”, ha dichiarato Dodds aggiungendo che costorno non otterranno mai il sostegno della comunità, e che contrariamente la base armata si era ben stabilita nell’area.
Tierna Cunningham, assessore del Sinn Fein, ha ricordato ai dissidenti che non raggiungeranno mai lo scopo di far deragliare il processo di pace, ma nonf aranno altro che mettere in pericolo persone innocenti come le famiglie residente nelle zone in cui avvengono questi attacchi.
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A bomb attack on a north Belfast army base on Thursday morning has been condemned.
Police investigating reports of an explosion in the early hours discovered a small device which had been thrown at the gates of the Territorial Army base in the Ashfield Crescent area, off the Antrim Road.
DUP MP for north Belfast, Nigel Dodds, raised the incident in the House of Commons, stressing his relief that no one had been injured by the blast.
‘Evil attack’
He said: “I have no doubt that those responsible for this evil attack will be disappointed that they failed in their murderous intent and that no one lost their lives.”
Mr Dodds said north Belfast had witnessed an escalation of dissident activity.
“I believe the same criminal elements are responsible for this incident. We are fortunate that nobody has been killed in this attack,” he said.
Mr Dodds said the targeted TA base in Glandore Avenue was well-established in the community.
“The same cannot be said for the fascist criminals responsible for this morning’s terrorist outrage who have no support whatsoever within the wider community,” he said.
He called for anyone who knows anything about those responsible for the attack to contact the police.
Sinn Féin councillor for Castle Ward, Tierna Cunningham, has branded the bomb attack “reckless”.
She said it was wrong and could not be justified, adding that many families in the residential area had been endangered.
“Whatever group was responsible, they need to realise that they will not succeed in their attempts to derail the Peace Process which has the full support of the overwhelming majority of people on this island, including the republican community who these groups purport to represent,” she said.
“These micro groups are trying to make themselves relevant, but they need to explain how their actions will achieve a united Ireland.”
Alert ongoing
A security alert is ongoing in the area, which has been cordoned off while army bomb experts examine the scene.
A woman, who has lived close to the army base for 40 years, told UTV she heard the blast.
“I heard a blast about 1am this morning and it shook the house,” she said. “I wasn’t sure what it was – whether it was fireworks or a display going off or what.”
She added: “It’s frightening for people living in the area because it’s a mixed area, people here are very quiet.”
She said nothing like it had ever happened in the Ashfield Crescent area before.
Police are investigating reports of an explosion early this morning in the Antrim Road area of north Belfast.
British Army bomb experts are examining a suspicious object which was discovered by police who had been called to check the area at Ashfield Crescent.
Last Friday, a woman was injured after a bomb exploded under her car in east Belfast.
Police investigate TA base ‘bomb’ (BBC News Northern Ireland)
Police are investigating reports of an explosion near a Territorial Army base in north Belfast.
Police said members of the public reported hearing a bang in the Ashfield Crescent area off the Antrim Road between 0130-0200 BST on Thursday.
The area has been cordoned off while a suspect pipebomb device, which may have been thrown at the base, is examined by Army technical experts.
There are no reports of any injuries or damage.
Forensic officers are examining an area outside the perimeter of the base.
The Army would not say how many people were in the base at the time of the attack.
However, a MoD spokesman said that “there were guards on the base” on Thursday.
According to the MoD website, The North Irish Horse, a Royal Armoured Corp unit, is based at the Dunmore Park Camp.
‘Escalation’
The website also says soldiers from the regiment train at the base most Wednesdays.
North Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Tierna Cunningham said the apparent bomb attack was “reckless and endangered families living nearby”.
The area’s DUP MP Nigel Dodds said north Belfast had “witnessed an escalation of dissident republican terrorist activity”.
North Belfast DUP councillor Ian Crozier who lives in the area, said he heard the explosion at about 0130 BST.
“I heard an almighty bang early this morning. Apparently a bomb of some sort was thrown over the fence of the barracks.
“Thankfully nobody was hurt.”
There has been an increase in security across Northern Ireland following a number of recent incidents blamed on dissident republicans, who oppose the peace process.
Last Friday, a police officer’s partner was injured when a bomb exploded under her car in east Belfast.
In September, the dissident republican Real IRA admitted leaving bombs outside the homes of relatives of a police officer in Londonderry.
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