A FAMILY of three yesterday escaped injury in a no-warning pipe-bomb attack outside their home in the Co Donegal village of Manorcunningham, between Letterkenny and Derry.
The device exploded shortly after 1am outside the house in the Churchlands estate. The couple, both in their mid-30s and originally from Derry, and their seven-year-old son were asleep when the blast occurred.
Garda Supt Vincent O’Brien said the family had moved into the estate about two years ago.
“Shortly after 1am neighbours in this housing estate heard the explosion and immediately alerted gardaí. It would appear that this device exploded under a car outside the house,” he said.
“After gardaí were alerted, we came to the scene immediately. It appears it was a viable device and it exploded without warning. The area was immediately sealed off and it remained sealed off to enable Army bomb disposal experts to carry out a full examination of the area. The remainder of the device will also be examined by the Garda ballistic section.”
Supt O’Brien said gardaí were keeping an open mind in relation to a motive for the attack and were carrying out door-to-door inquiries as part of their investigation.