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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Londonderry bomb alert: four mortar bombs found in van | Londonderry bomb alert: four mortar bombs found in van |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four live mortar bombs "primed and ready to go" have been intercepted by police in a van in Northern Ireland. | |
| The van had its roof cut back to allow the mortars to be fired. Police believe the target was a Londonderry police station. | |
| Three men in their 30s have been arrested following the overnight operation in Derry which police have linked to dissident republicans. | |
| About 100 families had to leave their homes at Letterkenny Road in the alert. | |
| Two men, aged 35 and 37, were arrested at the scene at 20:15 GMT on Sunday. One was in the van and the other was driving a motorcycle travelling behind. | |
| A 37-year-old man was arrested later after a house was searched. | |
| Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin said the mortars were "primed and ready to go". | |
| He described it as "a reckless attack by dissident republicans to murder police officers in the city of Derry". | |
| "These were people who were mindless, totally reckless, willing to drive four live mortar bombs through a built-up area with no regard to the people, the residents and the families living in the area," he said. | |
| "We believe those devices were destined for one of the police stations here in the city. | |
| "I have no doubt they would have caused mass fatalities. They were on their way to a target. These are crude home-made devices. There is no way the people who planned their attack would have known they would have hit their target." | |
| SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey said: "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. | 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. | 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. | "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. | |
| "When they moved the barrier back we had to evacuate. When the instructions came we didn't get very long to get ready. | "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." | "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. | 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". | 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. |