Viable explosive device found under soldier’s car in Armagh

The booby trap bomb was found under a serving soldier’s car in Portadown, County Armagh in Northern Ireland, while in the Republic, an improvised explosive device was found in a park in Cork.

The Armagh bomb was found by the soldier under her car in Corbracky Road, said Upper Bann MP David Simpson. She phoned police and bomb disposal officers were called to the scene.

Several houses nearby had to be evacuated while a controlled explosion was carried out on the device at about 4.45pm.

Device also in Cork

In Cork, the bomb squad were at a park in the Boreenmann area of Cork City, for about half an hour from 12.40pm, the Irish Defence Forces said.

The improvised explosive device was disabled without the need for a controlled explosion and the scene was declared safe shortly afterwards.

Evidence from the site was handed over to the Gardai in order for them to investigate, and the park was declared safe by about 1pm.

In Northern Ireland, David Ford, the justice minister, praised the actions of the bomb disposal team. An alert is still in force and and parts of Corbracky Road remain closed to traffic.