Three of the four main dissident republican groups in Northern Ireland are to merge under the banner of the IRA, it has been claimed. The Real IRA has been joined by Derry vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs and a coalition of independent armed republican groups, leaving only the Continuity IRA outside the new group.
In a statement, the new organisation claimed it had formed a “unified structure, under a single leadership”.
Republican sources say the new group also includes some former members of the now disbanded Provisional IRA. This is the first time since the 1998 Belfast Agreement that a majority of the forces of dissident republicanism has coalesced.
The new organisation is planning to intensify terror attacks on what it regards as symbols of the British presence, according to the source. Such targets could include police stations, regional headquarters of Ulster Bank, and the UK City of Culture 2013 celebration in Derry, which the dissidents have dubbed “normalising British rule”.
Meanwhile the Continuity IRA has issued a statement saying it has a new leadership in place following the expulsion of individuals it claims were acting to the detriment of the organisation.
A statement issued by the Irish Republican Information Bureau said those acting in a criminal manner and using the name of the Continuity IRA would be subject to “military action”. The statement also said the CIRA remained determined to continue its military campaign against British forces in Northern Ireland.
