The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for a bomb that exploded this morning in a hijacked taxi behind a British army barracks in Holywood, Co Down.
One elderly man was injured in the 12.24am attack at Palace Barracks in Holywood, Co Down, which houses the headquarters of MI5’s security services in Northern Ireland.
The attack was timed to coincide with the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Stormont Assembly today.
Intelligence issues handled by MI5 will remain under British control despite the transfer. A taxi driver in north Belfast was held hostage for two hours before he was forced to drive the bomb to the base in his car.
Security personnel were evacuating the area when the device exploded, and some of the 30 to 40 residents who were fleeing the scene at the time described diving for cover to avoid shrapnel from the blast.
"The taxi driver got out [of the car] and shouted 'It's a bomb, it's a bomb!' and we were evacuating the area when it exploded," a police spokeswoman said.
The attack came as responsibility for law and order policy was transferred from London to Belfast at midnight, marking the end of 38 years of Whitehall control.
Alliance Party leader David Ford is widely expected to be selected as the new minister at a vote in Parliament Buildings this afternoon, having already been identified as the preferred choice of the region’s two main parties.
Mr Ford said today a successful transfer of powers would reduce the support for dissident groups.
"I think there is no doubt they (dissidents) will try to make similar statements in various parts of Northern Ireland in the future," Mr Ford told RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme.
"I have no doubt though that we will probably see a reduction in support of such activity if we see a successful transition of policing and justice powers later today," he added.
First Minister Peter Robinson also condemned the attack, while Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness insisted the peace process remained “rock solid”. Mr McGuinness said Sinn Féin would not be deflected from the peace process, which, he added, had the overwhelming support of people in Ireland.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, speaking in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, described the bombing as as "very futile act" and said the institutions set up in Northern Ireland had the support of all the people of the island of Ireland.
"They [dissidents] don't have a mandate of any description. It's a criminal act. We will use all the resources available on the island of Ireland to confront these people who are trying to undermine the hard work of so many people."
Mr Cowen - whose visited a leisure centre amid a rally by some 200 pro-hunting demonstrators - described those behind the Holywood bombing as criminals and said they would be dealt with accordingly.
Secretary of State Shaun Woodward also insisted those behind the attack would not derail the political process.
“Today Northern Ireland will complete devolution with the transfer of policing and justice powers to Stormont," he said. “That democratic transition stands in stark contrast to the activity of a criminal few who will not accept the will of the majority of people of Northern Ireland. They have no support anywhere.”
Fine Gael’s justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said attempts by dissidents to derail devolution must not be allowed to succeed. “No action by the Real IRA can be allowed to interfere with the democratic process and there needs to be vigilance on both sides of the Border to ensure this does not happen,” he said.
The explosion follows a number of suspected dissident attacks in Northern Ireland including a car bomb which damaged a court building in Newry, Co Down, in February.
In March 2009, two British soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA outside Massereene Army barracks in Antrim town. Shortly afterwards, Constable Stephen Carroll was murdered by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon, Co Armagh.
Analysts have predicted unrest will continue from dissident republicans who do not believe in a political process to further their campaign for a united Ireland. Police have assessed the risk of attack as severe, and security forces are the prime target.
Agencies