'The IRA' Claim Responsibility For L'Derry Car Bomb

A group calling itself "the IRA" has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack in L'Derry on Saturday 19 January, in a statement branded "a relic from the past" by the city's Deputy Mayor.

The group said it planted the car bomb which detonated in Bishop Street shortly after 8pm, moments after police secured the area.

Their statement read: "We also caution those who collaborate with the British that they are to desist immediately as no more warnings will be given."

The group also pledged to "continue to strike at crown forces and personnel and their imperial establishment".

"All this talk of Brexit, hard borders, soft borders, has no bearing on our actions and the IRA won't be going anywhere. Our fight goes on."

The explosion and subsequent security alerts which disrupted the city on Monday 21 were at first linked to a group called the New IRA, according to the PSNI.

Deputy Mayor of Derry City & Strabane, Alderman Derek Hussey condemned the act and hit out at those claiming responsibility.

"The statement read like a relic from a past era," he commented.

"The group's name is not exactly original either, given that at various points in time we have encountered the 'Official' IRA, the 'Provisional' IRA, 'Real' IRA, 'Continuity' IRA and 'New IRA.' The one thing they have in common is that each of their campaigns of violence ended in failure, and I have no doubt the efforts of this latest gang are destined for the same fate.   

"Given that this grouping is trying to disrupt the daily lives of people in this City I still cannot fathom why Sinn Fein could not support a council motion condemning the bomb.   

"We are in a very bad place indeed when a major political party, publicly committed to supporting law and order, finds itself unable to use the word 'condemn' in relation to a terrorist bomb in a city centre on a Saturday night. That is perhaps almost as worrying as the bomb itself."



(JG/CM)