Man freed in NI bombing inquiry

A man arrested by detectives investigating a dissident republican car bomb attack on MI5’s Northern Ireland headquarters was …

A man arrested by detectives investigating a dissident republican car bomb attack on MI5’s Northern Ireland headquarters was released without charge today.

The 34-year-old was detained in the Dunmurry area of west Belfast yesterday.

The bombing on April 12th was timed to coincide with the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The Real IRA forced a taxi driver to ferry the bomb to Palace Barracks in Holywood, Co Down, a military base which includes the MI5 facility.

An elderly man suffered minor injuries when the device exploded while the area around the barracks was being evacuated.

The transfer of the powers handed political responsibility for law and order to Stormont politicians, though national security responsibilities remain under the control of central government.

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