Two arrested over attempted Belfast bomb attack

Two men have been arrested by detectives investigating a failed dissident republican car bomb attack on a shopping centre in Belfast.

Masked men hijacked a car and forced the driver to transport a 60kg bomb to the car park of the Victoria Square centre last month.

The centre is close to a city centre police station.

It only partially exploded. No one was injured and no significant damage was caused to surrounding property.

The suspects, aged 34 and 44, were arrested in north Belfast and have been taken to Antrim police station for questioning.

The attack was one of a number of recent bids by dissidents to target the city centre.

Last Friday festive revellers escaped injury when a small bomb exploded in the busy Cathedral Quarter district while on Monday night a suspected firebomber set himself alight when the device he was carrying seemingly ignited prematurely inside his jacket.

The suspect fled the scene in the Cornmarket area.

PA