Two men from west Belfast were last night being questioned about a series of letter bomb attacks on unionist MPs. A number of items found in a house on the Springfield Road were taken away for forensic examination following the arrest of the men during a series of police raids.
It is understood the RUC has ruled out IRA involvement in the sending of letter bombs to Ulster Unionist leader Mr David Trimble, his party colleague Mr Jeffrey Donaldson and Mr Robert McCartney, leader of the UK Unionist Party.
A number of senior members of the Ulster Unionist Party and the DUP also received parcels containing devices.
Some of the letter bombs were purported to come from a previously unknown group, the Revolutionary Republican Strike Force.
At least 18 parcel and letter bombs have been sent to unionist politicians within the past year.