Sinn Fein has described this morning's raid on their offices in Stormont as a highly political act which amounts to an "attack on democracy".
Four people, including a Sinn Fein official were arrested in dawn raids aimed at alleged intelligence-gathering by the IRA, police officials said.
Speaking outside Stormont this afternoon, Sinn Fein's Mr Gerry Kelly said the raid was ""disgrace and an attack on democracy and the vote for Sinn Fein.
"It is a highly political act, and worse, it is anti-Agreement when they are doing nothing about those anti-Agreement elements who are out there killing people."
The SDLP leader and deputy First Minister, Mr Mark Durkan, warned against speculation. "A number of people are jumping to emphatic conclusions in different directions before we have reliable material to assess the seriousness and implications of what may, or may not be involved here," he said.
Mr Peter Robinson of the DUP however said that raid had driven "a coach and horses through protestations that Sinn Fein is committed to exclusively peaceful means, and fundamentally questions the Government's continued blindness to IRA activity."
