Witness Sought By Sappers' Murder Team

Police investigating the murders of two soldiers have issued a specific appeal for information.

It has emerged that the PSNI detectives leading the investigation into the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar (pictured here) - both gunned down outside the Massereene Army barracks in Antrim last month - are following another lead.

They are keen to speak to a man whom they believe may be able to help with the investigation as he is thought to have been in the area at the time.

According to a police spokesman, the male they are hoping to speak to is described as being in his fifties.

They said he was wearing a navy blue waterproof coat at the time in question, and was walking a small grey and white dog in the area of Coral Crescent - which is adjacent to the Randalstown Road - at 9.40pm.

This was just after the shootings on March 7.

Five others were injured in the attack which was claimed by the dissident republican group, the Real IRA.

Since then there have been several arrests with leading republican, Colin Duffy, still remanded in custody in connection with the shooting.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has recently condemned such dissidents for attempting to hijack the "republican future".

Mr Adams told an Easter Rising commemoration in west Belfast that peaceful and democratic means were the only way to achieve a united Ireland.

"No one is entitled to hijack our proud republican history, and our republican future, and abuse it for narrow, selfish interests," he said.

See: Second Masserene Soldier Buried

(BMcC/KMcA)