"Viable" Bomb Found In Ardoyne

A "substantial and viable" explosive device has been defused by the bomb squad in north Belfast.

More than 30 houses were evacuated in Jamaica Street in the north of the city following the discovery by the PSNI of a device at the back of a house.

Police are unclear as yet whether the bomb, which was found in the predominantly nationalist area of Ardoyne, was intended for security forces or was intended for use at a different location.

Ch Insp Andrew Freeburn has described the bomb as "intended to murder."

He said: "Once again the community of north Belfast have been disrupted and the lives of residents put at risk by an element intent on causing as much loss of life and disruption as they can.

"The people who carried this out showed a callous disregard for the lives of everyone in our community.

"This is a residential area and we could have been looking at serious tragedy here."

Residents in the area had to leave their houses for several hours, but slowly began returning. Ch Insp Freeburn thanked the residents of Ardoyne for their patience.

"They have every right to be outraged however what we need now is information about who left the device there in the first place."

Republican activity in this area of north Belfast is high, with many links to dissident groups such as Oglaigh na hEireann; a group described as the most dangerous of dissident republican groups in Ireland.

Local Sinn Féin councillor Gerard McCabe said: "Not only have those responsible endangered local residents but they have also forced over 30 families to leave their homes while the device was dealt with."

(IT/GK)