Cross Border Explosive Finds Revealed

An operation by the police in Co Galway carried out yesterday has uncovered "explosive material" and a number of firearms - while in Northern Ireland in an unconnected incident - the PSNI said they had discovered a pipe bomb during a security alert in Co Antrim.

The PSNI officers had been called to the Ballymena Road in Carnlough after a device was found on Wednesday.

The police have since described it as viable and Army bomb experts have taken it away for further investigation.

A new grouping, the Loyalist Action Force has since claimed it was behind the pipe bomb that was found in the garden of the house in Carnlough.

Meanwhile, one man was arrested by Gardaí after the search in Galway, which was part of an ongoing operation involving officers in Galway assisted by members of the Regional Support Unit.

The operation took place on Wednesday when officers searched lands at Monivea, Co Galway and recovered a quantity of explosive material in an out-building.

A further search was carried out in a farmhouse at the same location during which four firearms were recovered - one handgun and three shotguns.

A 48-year-old man was arrested at the scene under the Offences Against The State Act and is detained at Galway Garda Station.

The Irish Army's EOD Unit also attended the scene, making safe the explosive material and removing it from the area. The nature of the explosives has not been released.

In a follow-up operation Gardaí searched a house in Tuam, Co Galway. One firearm was recovered and other two people were arrested, also under the Offences Against the State Act. Those arrested were male and female and were both aged in their 40s. They are currently detained at Galway Garda Station.

The explosives and firearms recovered in the latter search have been removed to Garda Headquarters for forensic examination. A Gardaí spokesman said that investigations are continuing.

(DW/GK)