Police suspect the Continuity IRA was behind an attempted bomb attack in Armagh city in which two police officers escaped injury.
A coffee-jar device was thrown at a police car which was responding to a call. It struck the car, but failed to explode and was left overnight before British army experts made it safe yesterday.
Unionist representatives in the area condemned the attack, and said it was further reason that British army watch towers along the Border should not be dismantled as planned today.
Mr Danny Kennedy, of the Ulster Unionists, said "normalisation" of security would be foolish. "There is, therefore, no reason for the government to relax the security presence.
"This attack clearly demonstrates that there is an element at work in the area, and the country as a whole, intent on causing death and destruction as recent incidents have proved."
Mr Paul Berry, of the DUP, said: "I think security should be increased instead of reduced to root out these people from our society."
The SDLP leader, Mr Mark Durkan, also condemned the attack. "Whether it's attacks by loyalists on vulnerable Catholics or it's just wild attacks on people providing a public service; whether it's attacks by dissident republicans on police officers or anybody else, all violence has to be deplored."
Insp William Gillespie said the attack in a residential area was "reckless". The attempted murder of officers trying to help the public served no purpose.