The 1,000lb roadside bomb found in Co Armagh yesterday is the largest device of its kind yet made by anti-Belfast Agreement republicans.
Security forces are concerned that the dissidents are posing an increasing threat despite significant successes against them by the Garda and RUC in recent months. The RUC believes the landmine was intended to wipe out a military or police patrol passing along the Monaghan Road outside Armagh city.
It is believed the landmine was manufactured in south Armagh in the past month by members of the "Real" IRA. This is the same group responsible for the Omagh bombing.
The bomb, packed into two wheelie-bins at the side of the road, was discovered on Saturday evening by a joint British Army and RUC patrol, the RUC said yesterday.
An operation to ensure the area was free of secondary devices meant the army could not begin defusing the bomb until yesterday. Two controlled explosions were carried out and the area remained closed.
The RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, said the intention was to kill members of the security forces. Mr Danny Kennedy, Ulster Unionist MLA for Armagh, said the bomb highlighted the need to retain a strong security presence in the area. "The Secretary of State would have to be very careful before taking any premature decision to remove any of the army outposts or observation posts in the area."
"This was yet another blatant attempt by those opposed to democracy who are intent on destabilising society," the Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, said.
The bomb, which follows an incident on Sunday evening when an explosive device was thrown at a police car in Cookstown, is being blamed on dissident republicans by security sources.
The DUP MLA for the area has, however, blamed the IRA for the bomb. "While people may put it down to dissident republicans, I have no doubt in my mind that the provisional IRA have their hands in this operation," he said.
Security sources point out that the dissident republican bombs have recently been getting more sophisticated.
The "Real" IRA and the other anti-agreement dissident group, the Continuity IRA are reported to be still small organisations. Senior security sources say they are satisfied the Provisional IRA ceasefire remains intact.