The Continuity IRA is believed responsible for Saturday night's car bomb which wrecked a leisure centre in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. It is understood the attack was deliberately timed to coincide with the transfer of the all-party talks to London today.
The bombing was widely condemned by unionist and nationalist politicians, including Sinn Fein. The CIRA is opposed to the peace process, which it says is a sell-out of republican ideals. Security sources say the paramilitary group is the armed wing of Republican Sinn Fein, a claim the party denies.
The bomb exploded at approximately 9.30 p.m. outside the River Club leisure and entertainment complex in Factory Street. It went off as British army bomb disposal experts were attempting to defuse it. The device contained around 300lb of homemade explosives.
Several telephone warnings, including one to a local Catholic priest, were made about two hours earlier. The caller did not say which paramilitary group he represented and no code word was given.
About 500 people were evacuated from the complex. No one was injured in the explosion, but substantial damage was caused to the building. Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, said it was "an attack on the peace process itself and the hopes of the nationalist people".
An SDLP representative, Mr Tommy Gallagher, described the bomb as a reckless and irresponsible act which would have "serious implications for both the lives and livelihoods of all people here".
An Ulster Unionist Party councillor, Mr Sam Foster, said the device had been left at one of the exits, and the bombers had deliberately intended to target people evacuating the premises. "This province has had enough. Enniskillen has had enough. We don't need any more of it," he said.
An RUC spokesman described the bombing as an attack on the entire community. Security sources say CIRA has a strong presence in Co Fermanagh. In 1996 it devastated the Killyhevlin Hotel on the shores of Lough Erne. Last year it left a bomb outside the Carrybridge Hotel in Lisbellaw, which was defused. Last September a CIRA bomb outside Markethill RUC station in Co Armagh caused extensive damage.
That attack coincided with the resumption of all-party talks at Stormont Castle in Belfast. A few weeks ago a bomb was defused in Banbridge, Co Down. Although no organisation has claimed responsibility, the CIRA is widely believed to have been involved.