PARAMILITARY ATTACK:THE REAL IRA has admitted a car bomb attack on the Northern Ireland headquarters of British intelligence agency MI5. The bombing, the second by dissident republicans in two months, was designed to coincide with the transfer of justice and policing powers from London to Stormont at midnight on Sunday.
The device was brought to Palace Barracks army base in Holywood by a taxi which had been hijacked in north Belfast late on Sunday. The grey Skoda was hijacked in Ligoneil and the driver held hostage. He was then ordered to take his taxi containing the device to Holywood and abandon it near the exit of the barracks on Old Holywood Road.
It blew up about 20 minutes later in what the PSNI said was a “significant explosion”. The car’s fuel tank exploded a short time afterwards.
An elderly man was slightly injured in the blast which occurred as police were evacuating local homes. Some 40 families were told to leave their homes and many were still unable to return last night as the police and army operation continued.
Some of those who spoke to The Irish Times yesterday said they had not received any warning from the police and only left their homes in the immediate aftermath of the blast.
Road closures continued in the vicinity of the bombing causing problems for local traffic.
There was widespread public condemnation, especially from elected representatives gathering a short distance away at Stormont to elect a justice minister.
PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott linked the incident to the political developments at Stormont. “My hope is that many people will be persuaded by their families and their communities that this is no longer the time for this, it’s gone, the war is over,” he said.
Minister for Justice David Ford in one of his first pronouncements since his election by the Assembly said that “those who carried out last night’s attack will not be allowed to succeed in sowing dissension, distrust and disharmony”.
Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward said the devolution of policing and justice powers stood “in stark contrast to the activity of a criminal few who will not accept the will of the majority of people of Northern Ireland”.
Resident Maureen Patrick said police had told her to clear out of her home just after the explosion.
“I didn’t know anything about it until it went off. Most of my neighbours were in the street by this stage.” She said the families who were given shelter at the nearby Redburn community centre had been well treated by local businesses and volunteers.