PSNI finds suspect bomb at site of gun attack

Police in Northern Ireland today discovered a suspected bomb at a location where gunmen had opened fire on officers on Thursday.

Members of the PSNI had been lured to the Foxes Glen area of west Belfast with false reports of a burglary and were fired at on arrival. Nobody was injured and a 26-year-old man was subsequently arrested.

In follow up searches today, a suspected explosive device was found and a number of homes in the area were evacuated.

In response Detective Chief Inspector Karen Baxter said their priority was to protect the local community. “We would ask the public for their patience and understanding as this policing operation continues,” she said.

Following Thursday’s shooting, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness told the BBC that had officers been hit in the attack it would have led to “huge misery and heartbreak”.

“There are people out there who are totally opposed to the peace process who are dedicated to trying to plunge society back into the past,” he said.

“I think it is absolutely disgraceful that three police officers were shot at in west Belfast.”