Three men have been arrested in a cross-border operation which followed an armed raid and kidnapping at a nightclub in Co Donegal overnight.
At least three armed and masked men broke into a nightclub in Red Castle, Co Donegal, at 3.45 a.m. They then tied up members of staff.
Gardaí were alerted. On arriving at the scene a number of officers were held at gunpoint and ordered to lie on the floor.
Two of the raiders left the premises with a hostage. The men discharged a shot as they bundled the hostage into a car, before heading off at high speed towards Derry.
Garda patrol cars followed them to the border. The RUC were alerted and arrested one man in connection with the incident.
The hostage was released unharmed at the border near Muss in the Donegal area, a garda spokeswoman said.
In a follow-up operation gardaí stopped a car at the border and arrested two men. A firearm was also recovered.
The men were detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act 1939. One of the men is being held in Burnfoot Garda Station, Co Donegal and the other in Buncrana Garda Stationm Co Donegal.