Security alert, County Tyrone
18 Jun 2010
Police have responded to the scene of a security alert in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, leading to the discovery of a viable device inside a van.
On the evening of Thursday 17 June police became aware that a van has been abandoned outside the police station at Dungannon Road.
It was established that a viable device containing an estimated 300lbs of explosives had been left inside the vehicle.
Army Technical Officers attended and around 350 people were evacuated from their homes.
At a press conference Superintendent Brian Kee condemned the attack and said it amounted to a blatant disregard for life: “I have no doubt that if this device had detonated it would have caused complete devastation and lives would certainly have been lost.
“The intention of the people responsible for planting this bomb in the middle of the village of Aughnacloy is to murder police officers with no regard for the people who live in this community. They completely ignored the fact that there could easily have been passers by or nearby residents caught up and killed or seriously injured in an explosion. This is an outrage and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by every right thinking person.
“It is thanks to the bravery and dedication of the local officers who responded to the area last night and the cooperation of the local community that no one was hurt or killed.
“This attack has caused severe disruption to the residents of Aughnacloy with a large number of them put out of their homes during the night. I would like to thank them for their patience and support throughout this operation and would also like to pay tribute to the community spirit which has been evident here from the outset and which has seen individual members of this community volunteer their services to ensure that everyone was kept safe and comfortable throughout the night and day.
“I would also like to thank our partner agencies for their swift response and assistance in evacuating the residents and ensuring they were accommodated.
“A robust and thorough investigation is underway to catch the criminals who abandoned this bomb outside Aughnacloy police station, and I am making an appeal to the local community to help us by coming forward and talking to the investigation team.
“We would like to hear from anyone who noticed a white transit van registration number R124 FHJ in the area of Aughnacloy or the surrounding area prior to the vehicle being abandoned.
"We are aware that a blue Toyota Avensis was reported to have been burnt out in County Monaghan last night and we are liaising with An Garda Siochana regarding any link this may have with the device outside Aughnacloy Station," he said.
Police would like to hear from anyone who noticed suspicious or unusual behaviour in the area, has any information regarding either of these vehicles or who has information in relation to this incident to contact Dungannon Police Station on 0845 600 8000. Alternatively information can be passed anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
