Police investigating a security alert near the Border came under gun attack but escaped injury, officers revealed today.
The railway line at Newry, Co Down, was closed on Friday following reports of a suspected bomb which was being blamed on dissident republicans.
But PSNI officers came under gun attack as they examined the scene at about 9.15pm last night.
The PSNI said there were no reports of injuries.
The alert on the track between Killeen and Meigh led to the closure of the Belfast to Dublin rail link on Friday after the suspected device was reported. The security scare caused travel chaos for rugby fans making their way to Dublin for Saturday’s Ireland v Scotland Six Nations match at Croke Park.
Dissident republican groups have been blamed for a series of security alerts over recent days that disrupted traffic in Belfast and Derry.
Yesterday, British army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion after a viable device was found in
PSNI District Commander Superintendent Alisdair Robinson today condemned the Co Down gun attack.
“This attack was a cowardly attempt to kill police officers in the course of their duty as they investigate a suspicious object that may have the potential to kill or injure not only police but members of the local community,” he said.
“Police will continue to deliver a service to the community despite the threat from these criminal terrorists, but we must also be mindful of that threat.
“Officers will continue to look after the policing needs of all our people and will put in place whatever measures are necessary to take a robust stance against those who seem determined to disrupt and attack local communities.
“The people who carry out these senseless acts show a total disregard for their fellow man and are not part of the society within which the majority of people of Northern Ireland wish to live.
“I want to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as we investigate this current security alert. And I ask them for their continued support to enable us to efficiently and effectively alienate those who continue to be involved in terrorism and criminality.”
He appealed for anyone with information to contact police.
PA