Local dissident republicans are believed to have been behind Monday night's gun attack on Lurgan RUC station. Shortly before midnight, up to seven shots were fired at an RUC patrol as it left the station in the town centre. No one was injured in the attack although several shots struck the outer wall of the police station, damaging a security camera.
A black Fiat Punto car, registration ALZ3768 used in the attack had been hijacked earlier in the nearby nationalist Killwilkie estate. The car was later found burnt out in the same area. This latest attack has increased security forces' concern that some leading republicans in north Armagh are leaving the Provisional IRA and linking up with the dissident anti-ceasefire grouping. The security forces believe republicans from Lurgan have been connected with several gun attacks in the area since the renewal of the IRA ceasefire last year.
Monday night's attack took place only a short distance from where two community policemen, John Graham and David Johnston, were murdered in June 1997. The two constables had been on patrol in Church Walk, near the local RUC station, when they were killed by two gunmen.