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| Londonderry bomb alert: four mortar bombs found in van | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four live mortar bombs have been found in a van in Londonderry, police have confirmed. | |
| The van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police believe the target was a local police station. | |
| Three men in their 30s have been arrested following the overnight bomb alert in Derry which police are linking to dissident republicans. | |
| About 100 families had to leave their homes on the Letterkenny Road in the operation. | |
| Two men, aged 35 and 37, were arrested at the scene. A 37-year-old man was arrested later after a house was searched. | Two men, aged 35 and 37, were arrested at the scene. A 37-year-old man was arrested later after a house was searched. |
| SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey said the alert began at about 20:00 GMT on Sunday. | |
| "It was an intelligence-led operation. Police intercepted a van, possibly another vehicle and, as a result, three men were arrested. | |
| "It is a main cross-border route, one can presume it (the van) was coming from the border. It caused serious disruption for people in the Brandywell," he said. | |
| Mr Ramsey said he watched as a petrol bomb was thrown at police as they tried to help people leave their homes on Sunday evening. | |
| "I was appalled when I saw a petrol bomb getting thrown at a police car. No-one was injured but it was very upsetting," he said. | "I was appalled when I saw a petrol bomb getting thrown at a police car. No-one was injured but it was very upsetting," he said. |
| "Older people and very disabled people have had to be moved from their homes. There was a lady, a double amputee and two disabled people who needed the assistance of an ambulance to get them out. | "Older people and very disabled people have had to be moved from their homes. There was a lady, a double amputee and two disabled people who needed the assistance of an ambulance to get them out. |
| "This is the distress that the dissidents are causing to their own people in their own communities," he said. | "This is the distress that the dissidents are causing to their own people in their own communities," he said. |
| The people who had to leave their homes found shelter in the nearby Brooke Park Activity Centre and the GAA's sports centre at Celtic Park. | The people who had to leave their homes found shelter in the nearby Brooke Park Activity Centre and the GAA's sports centre at Celtic Park. |
| Lawrence Moore was one of the residents who had to leave his home. His family stayed with relatives for the night. | |
| "A police land rover pulled across the road and we went out to see what was happening. | |
| "We went up to the cordon and could see a white van with its doors open." | |
| Police then extended the cordon which took in Mr Moore's home. | |
| "When they moved the barrier back we had to evacuate. When the instructions came we didn't get very long to get ready. | |
| "My son can't go to school today as I didn't have time to get all his things before we left the house." | |
| Sinn Fein MLA Maeve McLaughlin was also on the scene during the alert. | |
| Ms McLaughlin said that "frustration and anger was very apparent in the community". | |
| Disruption in the area is expected to continue until at least lunch-time on Monday. | Disruption in the area is expected to continue until at least lunch-time on Monday. |
| The Foyle Road and Lower Lone Moor Road at the junction of the Letterkenny Road will be closed until further notice. | The Foyle Road and Lower Lone Moor Road at the junction of the Letterkenny Road will be closed until further notice. |
| Meanwhile the Ormeau Road in south Belfast has reopened after an earlier bomb alert. | Meanwhile the Ormeau Road in south Belfast has reopened after an earlier bomb alert. |
| Army bomb officers were called on Sunday evening after a suspicious object was found. | Army bomb officers were called on Sunday evening after a suspicious object was found. |
| They carried out a controlled explosion. It turned out to be a hoax. | They carried out a controlled explosion. It turned out to be a hoax. |