A “VIABLE and substantial” suspected republican dissident bomb was defused yesterday close to the Border near Keady, Co Armagh, by British bomb disposal experts.
Police believe the bomb was part of a so-called “come-on” attack planned by dissident republicans. They believe a weekend fire in the area was part of a plan to lure police to the site, when the bomb would have been detonated.
The security operation was running since Sunday when a warning was issued about a bomb. The location was not specified. A caller said it was left in the “Border region”, police said. On Tuesday, a local farmer discovered the suspicious keg with wires attached close to the Castleblayney Road near Keady in south Armagh after it was disturbed by one of his sheep, according to police.
People were evacuated from six houses as a British bomb disposal team supported by a heavy protective security operation went about making the device safe. A five-mile stretch of road straddling the Border was cordoned off during the operation.
PSNI Chief Insp Ken Mawhinney believed the bomb was placed in the area on Saturday evening. “This device was designed for one thing and one thing only, to kill or cause serious injury to police officers,” he said.
“The people responsible for planting this device and leaving it on this public road exposed to members of the local community for almost 48 hours showed absolutely no regard for human life.”
“They do not care who they hurt and simply want to drag people back to the dark days of the past,” said Chief Insp Mawhinney.
There was widespread condemnation of the attempted bomb attack. Local Ulster Unionist Assembly member Danny Kennedy said the actions of those responsible were “sickening, despicable and unforgivable”.
Local SDLP MLA Dominic Bradley said those responsible were intent on causing carnage and mayhem. “We are very lucky this device was discovered and defused or else we could have been faced with the loss of life on a huge scale,” he said.
Brian Rea, acting chairman of the North’s policing board, condemned the attempt to kill police officers, which once again put the lives of the people of Keady at risk.