The Irish National Liberation Army, which killed some 120 people during its violent campaign, is expected to officially announce that it has decommissioned its weapons.
The paramilitary group is expected to reveal tomorrow that it has destroyed its illegal arsenal of weapons in a move which will be verified by Gen John de Chastelain.
The republican socialist paramilitary group, which was formed in 1974, was responsible for some of the most infamous attacks of the Troubles, including the killing of Conservative MP Airey Neave in 1979.
The group was also responsible for one of the largest death tolls of the Troubles in 1982 when it killed 17 people — including 11 soldiers and six civilians — in a bomb attack on the Droppin’ Well pub in Ballykelly, Co Derry.
A republican source claimed the decommissioning happened in recent weeks.
“The announcement is expected on Monday,” he added.
Four months ago the INLA used a graveside oration outside Dublin to confirm its “armed struggle is over” and vowed to end its 35-year campaign of violence in Northern Ireland.
There was confusion however, regarding whether or not the group was prepared to decommission its illegal arsenal of weapons, after the statement read to supporters failed to promise a disposal of arms.
Alliance Party leader David Ford, who is tipped to become its Stormont's first Justice minister, said the decommissioning had been long in coming.
"This move is long overdue. The days of hatred and violence have to be over forever," he said in a statement.
"Northern Ireland has moved a great distance forward but we must never be complacent. We must build a genuinely shared society to rid this region of the spectre of terrorism."
Gregory Campbell, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said the INLA’s decommissioning of weapons was long overdue.
“All too often when moves like this occur, there is a tendency to forget what was carried out by these groups,” he said.
“All of them should decommission their weapons, none of them should have been armed and able to murder in the first instance and the regret is that there are still people mourning their previous actions and the heartache they left behind.