Bombers condemned after children hurt in Lurgan

Political representatives have condemned a bomb attack in Lurgan this afternoon which injured three children.

It is understood the Samaritans received a telephone warning informing them of a bomb in a school. The caller failed to say what school was being targeted.

The PSNI said two 12-year-olds and a two-year-old suffered minor cuts and shock when the bomb detonated in a rubbish bin near the school on Kilmain Street at around 1pm in the Co Armagh town.

Dissident republicans are suspected of planting the device in the hope of targeting police searching the school.

The PSNI said there were no officers in the vicinity of the explosion when the bomb detonated.

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 is ongoing.

Chief Inspector Sam Cordner said those who planted the device were cowards.

He said: “The criminals involved in today’s incidents are cowardly and have no regard for human life. They are intent on causing death, injury and disruption and it does not matter who gets caught up in their cowardly attacks".

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".

“The people who carry out these senseless acts show a total disregard for their fellow man and are not part of the society within which the majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to live", he said.

Local Sinn Féin representative John O'Dowd 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 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 said.

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 this afternoon and another device is being examined by British Army bomb disposal on the Newcastle Road near Drumee Cemetary.