A Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Supt has accused dissident republican paramilitaries of attempting to kill security officers by placing an explosive device near the town of Newcastle in Co Down.
Police said explosives set to be used to murder officers in an attack near were discovered yesterday evening following a major security operation.
Chief Supt Robert Robinson, the district commander for the area, described the find as significant. He said: "This appears to have been an attempt to kill police officers going about their duty of serving the whole community.
"It's my belief that dissident republicans were responsible for this attempt on the lives of my officers." Officers and army bomb experts were called to the Hilltown Road just outside Newcastle last night after reports were received of people acting suspiciously in the area.
The explosive device was found at the roadside, fuelling suspicions that members of the security forces were the bombers' target.
Even though police sources disclosed the find was not "a massive landmine" officers were certain it could have killed and seriously injured anyone caught up in the blast.
Controlled explosions were carried out on the bomb and a number of items were taken away for forensic examination.