Attack likened to Omagh bomb

Yesterday's bomb attack in Lurgan which injured three children has been likened by the PSNI to the Omagh bombing in August 1998.

Three children were slightly injured when a device exploded in a wheelie bin near a school in the town after a misleading warning was telephoned to the Samaritans.

Two 12-year-olds and a two-year-old suffered minor cuts and shock when the bomb detonated on Kilmain Street at around 1pm. There were no officers in the vicinity of the explosion when the bomb detonated.

A number of suspicious objects were subseqently examined at locations in the town and three were declared to be elaborate hoaxes.

Chief Inspector Cordner said the fact the police received a warning saying the bomb was placed in one area and that it then detonated in another 'bore similarities' to the Omagh bombing of 1998.

The inspector called on all 'right-minded members of the community' to assist the PSNI in bringing the culprits to justice.

Dissident republicans are suspected of being behind the bomb attack and police believe the device was placed in a bin near the school in the hope of targeting police attending the scene.

Last night, police and bomb disposal experts examining suspicious objects came under petrol bomb attack in the town. There were no reports of injuries and the security alert was ended at 2.40am.

Police said they were liaising with community representatives to restore calm.

Residents were evacuated from several streets in the immediate area after police found a suspect object in a builders' yard, , also in Kilmain Street, where a controlled explosion was carried out. More homes were evacuated in Brownlow Terrace, where another security alert took place.

The PSNI believe the explosion was an attempt to kill or injure police officers after the warning, described as inspector Cordner as "very vague", was phoned to the Samaritans.

Inspector Cordner said it was "an absolute miracle" that the children were not more seriously injured by what he described as a "sickening attack".

Sinn Féin also condemned those who planted the bomb.

"Those who planted this device in the middle of this residential area obviously do not care who they hurt or kill and are void of any sense of social or political responsibility", the party's local MLA John O'Dowd said.

"The leaderships of the groups behind this senseless behaviour have to accept responsibility even if their membership is incapable of doing so. It is past the time for them to call an end to this pointless oppression of the nationalist community," he added.

SDLP Upper Bann representative Dolores Kelly said the bombing was "a despicable act".

She said: "A call came in to the Samaritans saying a device had been placed near the Model School, but there was no mention of what town. So police all over the north were out checking around all Model Schools when the bomb went off without further warning at Kilmaine Street, just where the police would have needed to put a cordon around the school."

"This was a despicable attempt to draw police in and then set off a bomb precisely where they would have been trying to keep other people back out of danger, and that is why the children were injured by debris from the explosion."

She added: "People are absolutely furious and no wonder. We need more firm political leadership and better intelligence methods to cope with this threat. A handful of dissidents are running rings around MI5 even though people are willing and indeed eager to provide information to the PSNI."

Two controlled explosions were also carried out in Greencastle yesterda afternoon and another device was examined by British Army bomb disposal on the Newcastle Road near Drumee Cemetary.