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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Strabane bomb intended for police inspector | Strabane bomb intended for police inspector |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A suspicious package sent to a police inspector in Strabane in County Tyrone was a small bomb, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said. | A suspicious package sent to a police inspector in Strabane in County Tyrone was a small bomb, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said. |
| It was found in an envelope addressed to Chief Inspector Andy Lemon. | It was found in an envelope addressed to Chief Inspector Andy Lemon. |
| The device was discovered by postal workers at the town's sorting office shortly before 09:00 GMT on Friday. | The device was discovered by postal workers at the town's sorting office shortly before 09:00 GMT on Friday. |
| Army bomb disposal officers were called to the scene to examine the device. They confirmed it was viable and have taken it away for further examination. | Army bomb disposal officers were called to the scene to examine the device. They confirmed it was viable and have taken it away for further examination. |
| 'Worrying development' | |
| The security alert has now ended and all roads have re-opened. | |
| CI Lemon said it was a "worrying development" for both himself and his officers in the area. | CI Lemon said it was a "worrying development" for both himself and his officers in the area. |
| "As police officers, we are targets and I would be quite high profile within Strabane. It is worrying when you get any threat," he said. | "As police officers, we are targets and I would be quite high profile within Strabane. It is worrying when you get any threat," he said. |
| The chief inspector added that he was keeping an open mind about where the threat came from. | The chief inspector added that he was keeping an open mind about where the threat came from. |
| "At this stage we have to keep open all lines of enquiry, but certainly it would appear to be coming from the direction of dissident republicans." | "At this stage we have to keep open all lines of enquiry, but certainly it would appear to be coming from the direction of dissident republicans." |
| In a joint statement, Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers condemned the attempted bombing and said: "There can be no justification for this calculated and callous behaviour." | |
| Vigilance | |
| Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness appealed for anyone with information about the attack to contact the PSNI. | |
| "This was not just a planned attacked on a police officer but also on the postal workers involved and society as a whole," the ministers said. | |
| The chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Brian Rea, said the device had the potential to cause injury. | |
| "Whoever sent this package really didn't care about the harm it could have caused and I praise the vigilance of the postal workers in spotting it," he said. |