Fully primed mortar found near RUC station

A SENIOR RUC officer has accused republicans of fighting a "pathetic, grubby, but lethal little war after an IRA horizontally fired mortar was discovered abandoned in west Belfast. The discovery was made as the IRA, in the Sinn Fein An Phoblacht/Republican News, formally admitted the murder of Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick in a sniper attack in Bessbrook, Co Armagh, over two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, a 16 year old Armagh girl had her hair cut and paint thrown over her in a so called punishment attack. Her male attackers told her they were from the IRA.

The RUC believes the IRA planned to fire the mortar at the RUC base in Andersonstown or at a British army or an RUC patrol operating in west Belfast. The RUC's Supt Ian Williamson said the IRA had planned to kill as many people as possible with the device, which contained Semtex and was fully primed.

The mortar was found yesterday after the IRA, using a recognised codeword, said on Wednesday night that the device had been left close to Falls Park, not far from Andersonstown RUC station.

The IRA, in An Phoblacht/Republican News yesterday admitted the sniper killing of Lance Bombardier Restorick in Bessbrook. The IRA statement read: "Volunteers from the South Armagh Brigade of Oglaigh na hEireann carried out an attack on British forces guarding their main helicopter base in Bessbrook on Wednesday, February 12th. One of the soldiers on duty was hit by a single shot and died."

The SDLP and Alliance Party have condemned the attack on Ms Judith Boylan (16) in Armagh by a number of men claiming to be from the IRA. She was abducted from a taxi depot in the city on Wednesday night and driven to Mullacreevie Park. She was tied to a lamp post and struck about the face. Part of her hair was hacked off and paint poured over her.

Ms Boylan told BBC Radio Ulster yesterday that she thought she was going to die. She said she did not know why she was beaten. "When I asked why, I was told to `shut up' and hit on the face."

Said Ms Anna Brolly, an SDLP councillor from Armagh: "No one has the right to do this sort of thing." Dr Philip McGarry, an Alliance councillor, described the incident as "fascist".