News

Bomb on police couple's car was intended to kill

Police and forensics at the scene where a bomb was found under the car of a serving PSNI officer in the early hours of Thursday morning at Glenrandel in Eglinton village on the outskirts of Derry city. Pictures Margaret McLaughlin
Police and forensics at the scene where a bomb was found under the car of a serving PSNI officer in the early hours of Thursday morning at Glenrandel in Eglinton village on the outskirts of Derry city. Pictures Margaret McLaughlin Police and forensics at the scene where a bomb was found under the car of a serving PSNI officer in the early hours of Thursday morning at Glenrandel in Eglinton village on the outskirts of Derry city. Pictures Margaret McLaughlin

Three men arrested in connection with the attempted murder of a serving police officer in Derry are from Lurgan and Dublin.

The men were arrested at Killygordon in Donegal hours after a viable booby-trap bomb was found under the officer’s car at Eglinton.

A Garda spokesman said the men, aged in their late 20s and 30s, were arrested around 4am yesterday. The spokesman said their car was also seized and would be subject to a technical examination.

The Irish News has learnt that one of the men is from Lurgan while the other two are from the Dublin area.

The device was found outside the home of the policeman and his wife, who is also a serving PSNI officer, shortly before 3am yesterday. The bomb was discovered at Glenrandel, Eglinton after police were alerted to suspicious activity. Police believe dissident republicans were responsible for the attempted attack.

As home to a number of serving police officers, the general Eglinton area has been subject to intensive security operations by police.

Derry and Strabane police commander, Mark McEwan said 15 homes were evacuated while army technical officers dealt with the device.

"Someone has crept in under cover of darkness and planted a bomb underneath his car. That was been done clearly with the intent to kill or seriously injure that officer and it’s been done with a total disregard for anyone else in what is a residential area," he said.

The Derry police chief said that in light of dissident republican activity, the risk assessment for all PSNI officers across the north remained at "severe." It is understood the bomb was a highly sophisticated device.

"This is yet another example of the cowardly elements in our society who show no regard for the safety of local residents and the police officers who serve their community," he said.

The attempted attack has been widely condemned. First minister, Peter Robinson said the attack should be condemned and those responsible brought to justice. Justice Minister, David Ford said the bombers hid in darkness and sought to use extreme violence.

SDLP MP, Mark Durkan said those responsible were "steeped in the mind-set and means of past violence."

"These people are capable of using a viable device but they don’t actually have a viable political strategy, no coherent message and it is not what the community want," he added.

Church leaders met with police to express their concern following the attack. In a joint statement, Catholic bishop, Donal McKeown, Church of Ireland bishop, Ken Good, Presbyterian leader, Robert Buick and President of the Methodist church, Peter Murray condemned the attack.

The church leaders said: "The use of violence has been rejected repeatedly and overwhelmingly by our community so today’s attempted murder was an assault on us too and on our aspiration for a better society."

For Sinn Fein, assembly member, Raymond McCartney said the bombers were not representative of the people of Derry.