The Five Demands

Arrests after bomb found in car in Creggan, Derry (BBC News Northern Ireland)

The car was stopped in Westway in the Creggan area on Thursday night. Four men, all aged in their 40s, were arrested.

Some residents had to leave their homes while the Army dealt with the bomb, which was described as “a viable improvised explosive device”.

Police said the arrests were made as part of an investigation into ongoing dissident republican activity.

BBC Ireland reporter, Andy Martin said: “Police described it as an improvised explosive device (IED), which is a term which is usually associated with a pipe bomb device, which would suggest that this isn’t a huge bomb.

“There is a significant pocket of dissident republicans operating within the city and there has been for some time. They were loosely aligned to the Real IRA, but we believe that grouping is now part of what is commonly referred to as the new IRA.

“It has joined forces with some groups in east Tyrone and in pockets of Armagh – the group is believed to have been responsible for a number of incidents over the past number of months.”

Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey said people in the Creggan area were “once again victims of disruption, distress and anger”.

“There was the distress of families being decanted from their homes – some 80 or 90 years of age, some needing medication went out without them,” he said.

“So there’s always that trauma and worry and the anxiousness of what you’re going home to.

“I think people will be waking up and saying thank God this bomb was found. It was en route somewhere and would have caused destruction , if not death, in the city somewhere last night.”

Related articles

• Arrests after bomb found in car (bbc.co.uk)
• Bomb find on eve of Clinton visit (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Bomb found in Londonderry ahead of Hillary Clinton’s Stormont visit (independent.co.uk)
• Four men arrested after bomb found in Londonderry (itv.com)