Dissident republicans are suspected to have been behind an incident in which a police officer’s girlfriend narrowly escaped death in a car-bomb attack.
The 38-year-old woman suffered only minor injuries after a device exploded under her Mazda MX5 as she reversed out of the driveway of her home in east Belfast yesterday.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the device had been designed to kill and while it declined to point the finger of blame so early in the investigation, dissident republicans are suspected.
Chief Supt Brian Maguire, who is leading the hunt for the bombers, said: “Clearly there are people out there in today’s society who are still intent on causing murder and mayhem.”
He said officers had for some time been on alert and advised to check under their cars because of the increased dissident threat.
“We are aware there is a serious threat and that has been the case for some time,” he added.
The bomb was fitted under the front passenger side of the two-seater car and Mr Maguire said: “Had a person been sitting in the passenger side, we may be talking about a fatality.”
It is believed the woman often gave her partner a lift to work - he is understood to be a police-dog handler - and he would have been in the passenger seat.
Last month the Real IRA exploded a bomb outside a policeman’s home in Londonderry on the same day a pipe bomb failed to detonate outside his sister’s home.
The Continuity IRA claimed responsibility for the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll, who was shot dead in Craigavon in March.
Security minister Paul Goggins said this latest attack was repulsive.
“Mercifully, this woman escaped with minor injuries but those who planted this bomb had murder in mind. They do not care who they kill,” he said.
PA