Friday's explosion in Northern Ireland's Craigavon was a failed attack by renegade Republicans against police officers, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
PSNI Chief Inspector Barney O'Connor told the BBC that dissidents had triggered a viable explosive device in a bid to murder police officers that had responded to a call from the public. Police said that a Belfast-based newspaper contacted them shortly after the bang saying that they received a call about a failed bomb attack against a police patrol.
The law enforcement officers strongly condemned the act, branding it as a "cowardly and despicable act of terrorism".
A callous & deplorable attempt to murder officers as they protect their local community. Those responsible have nothing to offer. Will not deter the courageous efforts of my officers & staff who work tirelessly to keep people safe.@PoliceServiceNI https://t.co/gwF2aabpzG
— Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) July 27, 2019
On Friday, police received a report of a loud bang in the Tullygally Road area at around midnight. The bomb disposal experts later confirmed that the suspicious object found in the area was an explosive device.
Republican dissidents are Irish republicans who reject the existing peace agreement between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. Many of these groups have historically supported violence against British law enforcement forces. The agreement in question is the so-called Good Friday Agreement that was signed in 1998 following negotiations between the Government of the UK and the Government of Ireland. It concluded a 30-year conflict known in the history of Northern Ireland as 'The Troubles', between the pro-Irish republicans and the pro-British loyalists.
The dissidents' activities hit the country amid controversy surrounding the Irish border issue, which had been a stumbling block in the EU-UK Brexit talks. In particular, the so-called 'backstop' arrangement, which stipulates avoiding a hard border in case of a 'hard Brexit', has been the most controversial point of the discussions.
The newly-elected UK Prime Minister has recently stated that the Irish backstop is "undemocratic and divisive" and warned the EU that it needs to be ditched if Brussels wants to get a deal with London.
On the other hand, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar noted that a hard Brexit could undermine the unity of Great Britain and pull Scotland and Northern Ireland away from London.
