More than 2,000 extra police officers are being drafted in to polling stations across Northern Ireland to try to thwart potential paramilitary attacks, Chief Constable Hugh Orde disclosed today.
As dissident republicans were blamed for a bombing on an army base last night, Mr Orde pledged to put in extra resources to cover tomorrow's elections to the Stormont Assembly.
He said: "We are determined to protect those who want to go and exercise their democratic right to vote. Over 2,000 officers will be deployed tomorrow in addition to the ordinary police response to make sure those turning up at the election can take their vote seriously.
"We take their vote seriously and we're determined to protect them."
In the latest attack two police officers and a man narrowly escaped injury when up to 60 pounds of homemade explosives partially detonated at the barracks in Dungannon last night.
A telephone warning had been made by a man claiming to be from the Continuity IRA. In a separate incident several shots were fired at a police station in Armagh from a passing car. No-one was injured.
PA