There has been widespread condemnation of yesterday's bomb attack in Newtownhamilton, which left six people injured and devastated the centre of the Co Armagh town. The attack, blamed on republican dissidents, cast a shadow over today's elections to the new Northern Assembly and was thought likely to strengthen the vote for candidates opposed to the Belfast Agreement.
A 13-year-old boy who suffered a shoulder injury in the blast was said to be "comfortable" in Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry, last night. Five other people were treated at the scene for shock and minor injuries. The explosion took place at 2.34 p.m., and the car used in the attack was believed to have been left outside the joint RUC-British army base in the town square at lunchtime. The silver Opel Omega carried a false registration and the bomb contained 200 lb of homemade explosives, police said last night.
Residents of the square had to remain out of their homes overnight, during emergency repair work. The security base also suffered damage to its perimeter fence. A warning was telephoned to two Belfast newsrooms 49 minutes before the explosion.
Although the attack was admitted by the Irish National Liberation Army, there was some scepticism about this claim as the mainly urban INLA does not have a significant history of activity in rural south Armagh, nor does it normally tend to use explosives.
There was speculation the attack might have been carried out by, or in co-operation with, former Provisional IRA members who have regrouped in the "Real IRA". The incident came 36 hours after a bomb explosion, apparently intended for the security for ces, ripped a hole in the Newry-Forkhill road, near the village of Dromintee 12 miles from Newtownhamilton.
The North's Political Development Minister, Mr Paul Murphy, said the attack was clearly designed to cause fear and anxiety among voters as they headed for the polls today.
"We will not be deflected from the path the Good Friday Agreement has set us on by violence or threats of violence from extremist groups," Mr Murphy said in a statement.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said the intention of the bombing was "clearly to flout the determined wish of the people of the island of Ireland as expressed in the referenda".
The MP for the area, Mr Seamus Mallon of the SDLP, said the bombing was "a disgraceful attack on the democratic process, coming as it does on the eve of the most important election in over a generation". He would "keep an open mind" on the organisational affiliation of the perpetrators.
The Sinn Fein chairman of Newry and Mourne District Council, Mr Brendan Curran, said the attack must not be allowed to undermine the present opportunity for peace. "Sinn Fein will not be deflected from its peace strategy."
A local UUP councillor, Mr Danny Kennedy, said the attack made it "even more important" for people to come out in large numbers today to vote for parties that would make the Belfast Agreement work for the good of everyone.
The leader of the DUP, the Rev Ian Paisley, said the bombing showed that the "peace process" was absolute nonsense. Describing the area as "Provo country", he said: "Nothing happens in that country there without the blessing of the Provo movement".
While agreeing that most people in the area suffered from such bombs, he told Radio Ulster there were also people in the area who gave intelligence to the IRA.
Despite the shock generated by the attack, observers believed it was unlikely to have any significant effect on today's vote in the Assembly elections. Although the campaign had been low-key, party workers remained confident the turnout would be higher than most general elections.
In a separate development, the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, signed an open letter to the Portadown District of the Orange Order appealing to the Orangemen to do all in their power to ensure the Drumcree parade passed off peacefully.