THE 'IRA' has claimed responsibility for a bomb planted under a PSNI officer's car in Co Derry last week.
The device is said to have been similar to that used to murder Catholic Constable Ronan Kerr (25), who died in 2011 when a booby-trap bomb exploded under his car in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Last Thursday a device was left at Glenrandel in Eglinton under a car parked at the home of an officer and his wife, who is also a PSNI member.
The dissident group calling itself the 'IRA' last night claimed it was responsible for the booby-trap, which was said to contain semtex.
A source claimed the police officer's car was parked close to a window at his home in the Co Derry town.
He was said to have been alerted after the person planting it inadvertently made a noise while getting out from under the vehicle.
Fifteen houses at Glenrandel were evacuated and army technical officers attended the scene when a security alert was declared at about 2.45am.
Police said the bomb was planted "with the intent to kill or seriously injure" and with "total disregard for anyone else" in the residential area.
In a joint statement the leaders of the four main churches in Derry also described the attack as "despicable, evil and reckless".
Last month the 'IRA' claimed two police officers came close to death after a remote-controlled bomb they were standing beside failed to detonate in north Belfast.
The device, which was described as "substantial" by police, was hidden in the frame of advertising hoarding outside a bookmakers in Ardoyne.
In November last year the 'IRA' used a home-made 'drop-and-go' launcher to fire a grenade at the PSNI close to Brompton Park which also failed to detonate.
In December 2013 no-one was injured after a PSNI vehicle came under gun attack as it travelled along the Crumlin Road.
