The discovery of explosives in Derry this week is a disturbing development which provides cause for alarm on several levels.
Police have revealed that military-grade explosives and weapons were found during a series of searches in the city on Thursday.
Two men and a woman were arrested under the Terrorism Act after the discovery of cash, handguns, grenades, ammunition and plastic explosives.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said the significance of the seizure “cannot be underestimated” and police believe the intention was to mount attacks to kill officers.
He also pointed out that the fact such dangerous items were being stored in a residential area, in close proximity to a children's play area, showed reckless disregard for the wider community.
The PSNI is to be congratulated for the find, at the end of a week in which it has been engulfed in turmoil following the resignation of Chief Constable Simon Byrne.
A series of controversies has shaken trust both inside and outside the organisation and the seizure is a reminder of the dark forces waiting to take advantage if officers are unable to carry out their job.
The primary line of inquiry is unsurprisingly the New IRA, which seriously wounded a senior detective in a shooting in front of children in Omagh earlier this year and is clearly intent on dragging us back to a violent past we hope has been firmly left behind.
Equally clear is that their actions have no support within the community and that authorities should be given assistance to ensure those responsible are taken off the streets.
However, another area of significant concern was the fact police officers came under sustained attack from youths as searches for the weapons were carried out.
Sixteen officers were injured, four of them requiring hospital treatment, with police believing children as young as eight were involved in the trouble. Injuries ranged from burns to potential fractures.
The unusually warm weather will have brought more young people onto the streets but there can be no excuse for the disgraceful scenes which saw police vehicles come under attack with heavy masonry and petrol bombs.
All those in the community with influence should work with young people to educate them about the potential consequences of such behabiour, while parents too must take responsibility for allowing their children to enter an environment which poses a threat to both their safety and others.
