Police said today a pipe bomb left close to a primary school in Belfast was designed to kill and its discovery had averted a potential tragedy
Firefighters and police officers were called to the scene near St Teresa’s primary school in west Belfast in the early hours of today after a report of a fire at a business premises.
During an examination of the scene on the nationalist Glen Road, police found the bomb.
A number of homes in the area were evacuated and St Teresa’s was forced to close for the day.
Army bomb disposal experts attended the scene and the device was removed.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Supt Mark Hamilton condemned those responsible.
“The device has been taken away for further examination but we can confirm that it was a viable pipe bomb which had the capacity to kill or maim,” he said. “It is perhaps particularly chilling given the fact that there is a primary school close to the scene. This is a residential area and we could have been looking at serious tragedy here.
“There is absolutely no doubt that this device was intended to murder and we would ask anyone with any information in relation to this incident to come forward and tell us what they know about this.”
Local Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey criticised those responsible, describing them as reckless.
“Those behind must realise the stupidity of their actions, they have been reckless in the utmost and have shown no regard for the local community whom they claim to represent,” he added.