A security operation to make safe a bomb found along a road near Roslea, Co Fermanagh, is expected to continue later today.
The PSNI is blaming dissident republicans for planting the device, described as "viable", in a container in a wooded area just outside the Border village. The area was sealed off overnight.
Chief Insp Alwyn Barton said the device would have killed or seriously injured anyone in the vicinity.
"I believe this was an attempt to murder members of the local community police team in this Border area," he said.
"This was obviously the work of some dissident republican grouping who are intent on committing murder and are not looking on the bright future that lies ahead of us in Northern Ireland," he said.
"It is deplorable that any individuals are prepared to place a device in such a situation where anyone - man, woman or child - can be seriously injured or indeed killed." Dissidents are also being linked with a shooting incident outside Keady PSNI station in Co Armagh.
PSNI chief Sir Hugh Orde has repeatedly insisted that the PSNI has had successes in frustrating dissident republican plans to upset political efforts in the run up to the governments' November 24th deadline for agreement on powersharing at Stormont, and is fit to contain any paramilitary groups.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain claimed yesterday that the firebombing campaign mounted by dissident republicans had caused some £25 million (€37.1 million) in damage so far this year.