The IRA dissidents who broke away from the mainstream republican movement in protest at the peace process have claimed Ronan McLoughlin as a member.
In a statement to The Irish Times last night, a spokesman for the dissidents claimed Mr McLoughlin had been on "active service" when he was killed by gardai during an attempted robbery in Ashford, Co Wicklow, on Friday.
The dissidents are understood to share similar political views to the 32-County Sovereignty Committee. They are an entirely separate organisation from the Continuity IRA.
In their statement, they expressed anger at the shooting and said they would be "investigating the circumstances".
Meanwhile, Mr McLoughlin's partner Grainne, who is six months pregnant with their third child, has called for a public inquiry into the incident and for an independent autopsy to be carried out on his body.
A recognised codeword accompanied the statement. The group, which includes the IRA's former quartermaster general, broke away from the mainstream IRA seven months ago. They are believed responsible for several recent bomb and attempted bomb attacks.
The statement from the dissidents said: "Between 1700 and 1715 hours on Friday in Ashford, Oghlaigh na hEireann volunteer Ronan McLoughlin lost his life on active service while under the orders of his military leaders.
"The actual circumstances surrounding his death will be fully investigated. We wish to pay respect to his immediate family and friends." It was signed "Sean MacDiarmada". In a separate statement, Mr McLoughlin's partner expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding his death and said the family had contacted a solicitor.
She demanded a public inquiry into the shooting and an independent autopsy to establish his exact position when he was shot. The statement said: "We have a right to know the full facts surrounding Ronan's death. There has been a monumental shift in the gardai story.
"First, they said Ronan died in a gun battle. Then they admitted no shots were fired at them. This must be explained. We also need to know why the road where the shooting took place was closed for so long afterwards. These questions must be answered."