A police officer suffered serious leg injuries after a device exploded under his car when he was on his way to work in Co Tyrone last night.
Firefighters were called to the scene at Spamount village, Castlederg, at about 9.15pm, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said. The man, who only joined the force three years ago, was also assisted by members of the public at the scene.
"It is believed a device exploded under his car as he drove along the Drumnaby Road," a spokesman for the PSNI said.
"He is currently being treated in hospital where he has undergone surgery." The officer's injuries are not believed life-threatening.
PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said the dissidents were marginalised
The PSNI said that while there have been no claims of responsibility for the incident, the involvement of dissident republicans was "a major line of inquiry".
Police appealed for anyone in the Strabane area who witnessed any suspicious activity in recent days to come forward.
PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde said such dissidents were "marginalised" and on the edges of society.
"They are not wanted by society. They are flying flags of convenience around some bizarre notion of a united Ireland."
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme, Sir Hugh said: "This was another attack by a group trying to unravel everything that has been achieved. They have not defeated the police service for the last 38 years and if they seriously think this sort of event is going to defeat the PSNI they are badly mistaken."
Sir Hugh said the threat from dissidents remained high because they were in their “end game”.
“Very clear messages have been sent out by everybody. Every political party has signed up to policing, everyone wants to move on.
“They are out of date, out of time, and they are lashing out at an easy target, an easy target which will give them some sort of publicity."
He claimed community pressure would also "push these people out of existence for once and for all".
Sir Hugh said there were 30 dissident republicans arrested in his own jurisdiction this year and stated his officers would not step back from policing because of these type of attacks. Sir Hugh is due to meet the Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy later today.
Policing Board Chairman, Professor Sir Desmond Rea, condemned the “cowardly” attack.
“The criminals who planted this bomb have nothing to offer our community and have no support from our community or from any political party represented in the Northern Ireland Assembly,” he said in a statement.