‘IRA’ plant bomb under Belfast cop’s car as militants step up terror campaign weeks after murdering journalist Lyra McKee

“IRA” terrorists planted a bomb underneath a cop’s car in Belfast today in the latest horrific act since murdering journalist Lyra McKee. Over 70 people were evacuated from the Shandon Park Golf Club in the east of the Northern Irish capital as a military bomb disposal squad dealt with the deadly device. The thwarted plan […]

“IRA” terrorists planted a bomb underneath a cop’s car in Belfast today in the latest horrific act since murdering journalist Lyra McKee.

Over 70 people were evacuated from the Shandon Park Golf Club in the east of the Northern Irish capital as a military bomb disposal squad dealt with the deadly device.

PA:Press Association

PA:Press Association

Press Association

The thwarted plan to kill the police officer comes just two weeks after Lyra McKee was shot dead in Derry by a gunman believed to be from the “New IRA“.

Investigators are now trawling CCTV from around the golf club, which is close the Police Service of Northern Ireland HQ, to work out how the explosive weapon was planted.

But Sean Wright, the PSNI’s Head of Terrorism Investigations, has already blamed the IRA for the attempted killing.

He said: “Our belief is that this attempted murder was carried out by violent dissident republicans.

“They don’t care who they attack, they don’t care who they kill.

“They are simply anti-peace and anti-democracy.”

Militant nationalists from the New IRA group placed a car bomb which detonated outside a courthouse in Derry in January.

No one was injured in the blast.

The killing of journalist Lyra McKee by members of the same group during a riot in the city last month has raised fears militants are trying to exploit tensions caused by Brexit.

In March, the group also took responsibility for sending postal bombs to major transport hubs in London and Glasgow.

Some 3,600 people were killed in the sectarian conflict that began in the late 1960s between mainly Protestant unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and predominantly Catholic nationalists.

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