Kenny condemns dissident mortar plot

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has strongly condemned the “potentially catastrophic” activities of republican dissidents who offered only “terror, bloodshed and murder” after four live mortar bombs were discovered in a van in Derry at the weekend.

Mr Kenny departed from his scripted remarks to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Letterkenny yesterday to deplore such activities and to commend the vigilance of security forces both sides of the Border.

“I deplore the activities of the potentially violent and catastrophic dissident group. I commend both the PSNI and the gardaí for the extent of their awareness and their vigilance and their activity in bringing that potentially disastrous situation to a halt,” he said.

Mr Kenny’s denunciation of dissident republicans came the day after the PSNI intercepted a van carrying the mortar bombs. Police suspect they were to be used in an attack on a Derry police station which they say could have resulted in “mass murder”.

The van was adapted so mortars could have been fired through a hole cut in the roof.

“I have no doubt that they would have caused mass casualties and we could be looking at mass murder today if those devices had exploded and hit their intended target or hit targets in or around one of the bases in the city ,” said local police commander Chief Supt Stephen Cargin.

Detection

Police sources indicated that co-operation between the Garda and PSNI resulted in the detection of the van. It is believed the mortars were made in Donegal.

There have been a number of similarly foiled operations in recent months, which are likely to raise concern among dissident leaders about the Garda, PSNI and MI5 having planted agents and recruited informants within these organisations.

Security forces on both sides of the Border will be concerned that dissidents are developing their engineering ability, and also a fear that some former Provisional IRA members may be providing technical assistance to dissidents in preparation of attacks.