An explosive device thrown at police officers early this morning near a Catholic church in Northern Ireland was designed to kill, a senior commander has said.
The bomb, which failed to detonate, has nevertheless been described by detectives as advanced and sophisticated. It was hurled at a patrol vehicle on the Crumlin Road in North Belfast.
The attack happened at 12.45am this morning near the Holy Cross Church, sparking a security alert for several hours. The PSNI blamed dissident republicans.
District Commander Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw, the most senior officer in the north and west of the city, said it was attempted murder of police officers.
A phone call was made to the parish priest in Holy Cross about five minutes after the attack.
“From information we have gathered so far this morning, we believe that this device may have been thrown at a police patrol vehicle at around 12.45am and failed to detonate,” the chief superintendent said.
The device was discovered by police outside the church after the alarm was raised and has since been made safe.
Mr Grimshaw said the explosive - believed to have been more sophisticated than a pipe bomb but not as elaborate as mortar - was clearly capable of killing the police officers on patrol if it exploded.
“This was a shameful attack on officers who each day go out to serve this community and keep people safe and must be outrightly condemned,” he said.
The area has seen other attempts to kill police officers in the last year, including when two police vehicles were struck 10 times by gunfire from assault rifles while travelling along the Crumlin Road, near Brompton Park.
Eight families were evacuated from their homes overnight as the security operation took place.
There were also major disruptions for commuters in the Crumlin Road area and parishioners of Holy Cross hoping to attend morning Mass.
The chief superintendent added: “Such disruption to community life is totally unacceptable.
“People should not be subjected to such inconvenience and disturbance to their everyday lives, particularly where families with young children, the elderly and vulnerable are forced out into the cold in the early hours of the morning.
“We are thankful this morning that no one has been hurt and we know that the community here are as appalled as we are at this attack on local community police officers by a small number of misguided individuals.”
Sinn Féin councillor Gerry McCabe condemned those behind the bomb attack.
“What we do not need, close to a sensitive interface, is increased tension,” he said.
“I would call on all political and community leaders to come out and roundly condemn this incident to show those behind it that their actions are wholly unacceptable.”
Stewart Dickson, Stormont Assembly member and justice spokesman with the Alliance Party, said those behind the bomb attack have no regard for community safety.
“Somebody could have been killed or seriously injured had this device exploded,” he said.
“The vast majority of people will find this incident abhorrent. Those responsible want to drag Northern Ireland back to the dark days of the past.
“My thoughts go out to the eight families who were evacuated from their homes. This must have been a frightening experience for them.”
Mr Dickson appealed for anyone with information to contact the police.
Press Association