Police in Northern Ireland have said that the car bomb attack outside a police station on the outskirts of Belfast bears the hallmarks of the New IRA, describing the incident as attempted murder. The explosion occurred late Saturday night in Dunmurry, a suburb of Belfast, and forced the evacuation of nearby homes, including those with two babies. No injuries were reported.
Details of the Attack
According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), a delivery driver was hijacked at gunpoint in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday. A gas cylinder device was placed in the boot of his vehicle, and he was ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station in the Kingsway area and abandon it there. The device detonated shortly after, engulfing the car in flames and sending debris across a wide area.
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton praised the bravery of officers who rushed to evacuate residents. He stated: “Officers immediately and courageously ran into danger, placing themselves in harm’s way, and evacuated nearby homes to protect the community. A number of residents, including two babies, were being taken to safety by officers when the device exploded. What this type of device may have lacked in sophistication and scale, it more than made up for in its reckless unpredictability.”
Similarities to Previous Attack
Singleton noted strong similarities to an attack on Lurgan police station in March, where a delivery driver was also forced at gunpoint to transport a device that failed to explode. The New IRA claimed responsibility for that incident. “As a consequence of that, our early working hypothesis is that this may well be the work of the New IRA,” Singleton said.
He added that the device used in Dunmurry was “extremely volatile” and that the lack of a warning made the attack even more dangerous. “The scale and complexity of the device may not have been as big as we’ve seen in the past. What it lacked in that definitely was made up for in terms of its recklessness, in terms of the construction – it engulfed the vehicle in flames and spread debris over a significant distance.”
Political Reaction
First Minister Michelle O’Neill condemned the attack, saying those responsible “speak for absolutely no one.” DUP leader Gavin Robinson stated that police and the public “should never have to face this kind of danger.” Brendan Mullan, chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, called the device “a bomb sent to kill officers and cause maximum harm in a residential area.” He noted that this is the second such incident in recent weeks, which he described as “depressing.”
Threat Level Assessment
When asked if the terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland, currently at “substantial,” should be reassessed, Singleton said: “Obviously the device in Lurgan hadn’t functioned, but I think we can see that that was probably through good fortune more than anything else. Last night reminds us of the murderous intent and capability that still exists and is regularly deployed against our officers, so it’s vital that we remain vigilant.”
Liam Kelly, chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, expressed revulsion at the attack, stating: “This doesn’t move the needle towards any particular goal. All it does is show that there are still people who want to murder my colleagues and deliver pain and suffering in our communities. These faceless cowards are a throwback to the dark ages of the Troubles. They have no place in the society we are all striving to build, a society free from thuggery and terrorism.”
