Lurgan bomb 'sad and futile' dissident try for relevance ahead of Easter Rising anniversary - PSNI
Monday night’s attack on a police station is likely a “sad and futile” attempt by dissident republicans to “make themselves relevant” around the anniversary of the Easter Rising, a senior officer has said.
But the briefcase-sized bomb used in the incident still “carried a huge amount of danger”, putting both the driver of the car and those in the station at risk.
The Lurgan comes ahead of annual commemorations of 1916’s Easter Rising, which led to the independence of the Republic of Ireland from British rule.
Speaking to the media in Lurgan on Tuesday, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson pinned dissident republicans as the likely culprits, adding that patrols will be stepped up around police stations across the province.
“An attack like this is thankfully rare,” he said.
“We know that our staff, not just working here in Lurgan but elsewhere, will be worried and concerned about the potential for an attack on other premises.
“That’s why over the coming days we will be increasing our policing footprint in and around police stations, to prevent but also to reassure our own people that we are doing absolutely everything in our power to bring to justice those who have committed this act.”
Stating that while officers are still looking at all options, he said it “seems obvious to us that it is likely to be dissident republicans”.
The threat of dissident attacks remains substantial, with Mr Henderson saying: “That’s not something to be shirked away from. nor something that we do not see as part of our daily policing.
“Sadly this attack was something that we have prepared for, to anticipate as part of policing here.”