A huge bomb was defused in south Armagh today following a week-long operation.
British army experts estimated the device, planted outside the village of Forkhill, close to the border, contained about 600lb of home-made explosives.
A command wire led from the roadside where it was planted to a firing point across the border.
The PSNI were first alerted that a device had been left in the area on September 1st and began a search. The bomb was located on Saturday.
Gardaí and members of the Defence Forces mounted a security operation today while a British army bomb disposal expert made the device safe. The remnants were taken away for forensic examination.and finally made safe today.
Dissident republicans were being blamed for planting the bomb and police branded those responsible “reckless” and said they did not care who they might have killed had it been detonated.
Last January, suspected dissidents abandoned a 300lb car bomb near a primary school in the Co Down village of Castlewellan.
Police launched a major investigation into the Forkhill incident and have urged anyone with information to talk to them.
“There could have been a devastating outcome to this incident. The actions of terrorist criminals in planting this device in the Forkhill area put local people and police officers at significant risk," Newry and Mourne police commander Chief Inspector Sam Cordner said.
“Their actions were reckless and dangerous in the extreme Their target may have been the police, but they did not care who they killed or injured,” he said. “It is only through the hard work and professionalism of police officers and their military colleagues that the area has been made safe.”
He insisted the actions of those responsible for the device would not deter his officers from providing a service to the people of South Armagh.
“Part of that service will be an investigation into the planting of this device. Anyone who can bring these criminals to justice should contact us," he said. “We want to thank the people of Forkhill for their patience and forbearance as we worked to make their area safe for them.”
About 20 people were evacuated from their homes while the device was made safe.
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said the bomb showed there was a clear and ongoing terrorist threat of terrorism.
"It shows that there are evil people out there still prepared and with the equipment to take life in Northern Ireland," he said. "I am delighted it has been defused, but it does show that there is still a very real and present danger. It indicated there are people who still have to be dealt with by the PSNI."
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern condemned the bombers.
"We spent years negotiating with the British to demilitarise the border. That hard work led to the complete removal of oppressive watchtowers and massive cuts in troop numbers," said Mr Ahern. "Those involved in this action are trying to reverse that work - to stop normalisation - to remilitarise the border, cutting north from south once more. Their actions are anti-republican.
"In the vote on the Good Friday Agreement the Irish people, in the first act of all Ireland self-determination since 1918, completely rejected violence. Those behind yesterday's bomb need to heed the will of the Irish people."
SDLP Newry and Armagh MLA Dominic Bradley said the bomb could have caused widespread civilian casualty or death. “This is the most serious threat yet from dissident republicans to the people of South Armagh. Without doubt, there could have been civilian casualties and deaths caused by a bomb of this size.
“I condemn the actions of these people without question, as the SDLP has in the past always denounced violence or the threat of it. The people who planted this device are not acting for the people of South Armagh, in fact, they are putting the people of South Armagh at huge risk of death. The local people don’t want this nor do they want people carrying this out in their area.”
Mr Bradley questioned the police response time in dealing with the device and the timing of the evacuation of homes.
“Everybody accepts the dangerous nature of policing this type of threat by the PSNI, however, serious questions must be asked about the response time in dealing with the device and evacuating people from their nearby homes," he said. "It seems the PSNI may have known about this bomb days before they moved people from their homes and if that’s the case then it’s certainly cause for much concern,” he said.