Road and rail links reopened following bomb find

British army bomb experts have defused a bomb containing 35kg of home made explosives which was found under a railway line at the Irish border.

The device was discovered at Killeen Bridge near Newry in County Down, following a six-day security alert in the area.

The track between Newry and Dundalk in County Louth was closed last Thursday after police received telephoned bomb warnings. The Newry to Dundalk road was also closed for almost two days because of the alerts.

The alerts began just after 7pm on Thursday 29 November when police in Dundalk, County Louth, and police in Northern Ireland received a number of telephone bomb warnings.

A number of armed and masked men also hijacked a lorry in the area. It was set on fire and blocked the main A1 Newry to Dundalk Road.

Speaking about the security operation involved in making the bomb safe, Assistant Chief Constable Stephen White said: “A blue plastic barrel was horizontally placed under the track. Railway sleepers sit on a sort of a balance of gravel and some of that was removed and a blue plastic barrel was fitted underneath. We are talking about something that could have had absolutely devastating effect had it gone off when a train had been passing.

“The device had been detonated and I have to commend the Brigadier, my opposite number in the Army and all his resources, both search teams and Army Technical Officers for a very successful operation. They did deal with a device that had partially detonated and one can only think of the devastation it would have caused, had it happened when a train was passing.”

SDLP assembly member for Newry and Armagh John Fee has condemned those who planted a bomb. He said: “Those who planted this device had no concern for the safety of the people travelling on the train. It is clear that they were intent on causing death and destruction. I dread to think of the consequences if the bomb had exploded. A security operation had been in place for a number of days, and during this time hundreds of people have been inconvenienced as the cross border train service has been disrupted.” (AMcE)