Two babies were rescued by police officers just seconds before a car bomb exploded outside a police station in Dunmurry, west Belfast. The incident occurred late Thursday night when a delivery vehicle was found abandoned near the station with a gas cylinder device in its boot.
Officers activated the station's attack alarm after spotting the suspicious vehicle shortly before 10:50 PM. Residents in the area were evacuated from their homes as police worked to secure the scene. In a miraculous turn of events, two infants were being taken to safety when the bomb detonated, sending debris flying in all directions and engulfing the van in flames. No injuries were reported.
Investigation Launched
Counter-terrorism police have launched an attempted murder investigation into the attack, which has been universally condemned by political leaders in Northern Ireland. First Minister Michelle O'Neill stated that those responsible 'speak for absolutely no one.'
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton expressed gratitude that no one was hurt, calling the attack 'cowardly' and 'reckless.' He said: 'Our thoughts today are with all those affected by this cowardly attack, the delivery driver for whom this will have been an extremely traumatic experience, residents who are still unable to return to their homes, our courageous officers and of course their families.'
Singleton reassured the community that the Police Service of Northern Ireland would not be deterred, adding: 'We've made great progress as a society and we won't allow those who are intent on dragging us backward to succeed.'
Link to Previous Attack
The incident comes just one month after a pizza delivery driver was forced at gunpoint to transport an explosive device to Lurgan police station. That bomb failed to detonate, but was attributed to dissident republicans. Singleton acknowledged 'similarities between the two incidents' and said police believe the 'New IRA' was behind the attack.
He noted that the Dunmurry bomb, though small, was designed for maximum recklessness, and officers received no warning. Brendan Mullan, chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, said the attack was planned to 'cause maximum harm' in a residential area.
Political Condemnation
Liam Kelly, chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, described the incident as 'the definition of madness' that had 'caused great upset and generated widespread and justifiable revulsion.' He called those responsible a 'throwback to the dark ages of the Troubles,' referencing the conflict that ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
The New IRA is a dissident republican paramilitary group formed from successor groups to the original Provisional IRA. It has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, including sending suspect packages to locations in England and Scotland in 2019 and plotting to disrupt President Joe Biden's 2023 visit to Belfast.
