'IRA' claims responsibility for attempted car bomb attack on PSNI officer

Chloe St John

The IRA says it was behind an attempted car bomb attack on an off-duty police officer in East Belfast last weekend. 

A viable device was found under the vehicle at Shandon Park golf club on Saturday afternoon. 

In a statement to the Irish news a recognised code word was used to claim responsibility, in a letter signed T.O'Neill - the IRA. 

The terror group say they're confident the bomb would have detonated if it weren't for the smooth terrain the officer travelled on. 

(Shandon Golf Club, East Belfast)

The statement said:

"The IA claims responsibility for the recent under car booby trap. We are confident the device would have exploded if it was not for the level terrain it had travelled on. We were unlucky this time but we only have to be lucky once".

A cross-border investigation was launched to investigate the attempted attack.

Police have been appealing for information on two cars as part of their investigation.

One was a green Skoda Octavia registered in Dublin; the other a Northern Ireland-registered silver Saab.

Detective Superintendent Sean Wright said,

“This was an absolutely reckless attack on a police officer.  The people who deployed this device took it through a busy built up urban area putting members of the public at risk.  Then with all the inherent risks of leaving an unstable explosive device under a car in the vain hope that they might just achieve the success that they would want."

🎥 @PoliceServiceNI Detective Superintendent Sean Wright, Head of Terrorism Investigation Unit, says it’s “only by good fortune” a police officer, his family or members of the public weren’t murdered by a bomb found under officer’s car at Shandon Park Golf Club in east Belfast pic.twitter.com/himOT3RSpd

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) 2 June 2019

At a policing board meeting yesterday Chief Constable George Hamilton said the attackers "gave no thought to the human being behind the uniform, who is a husband and a Dad. 

He continued,

"There is no cause to justify such actions. Those who continue to believe in those of violence do so in the acceptance of the fact that they are risking the lives of their own communities".