PM Visits Real IRA Murder Scene

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has visited the Antrim army barracks where two personnel were brutally gunned down by dissident republicans at the weekend.

Mr Brown joined PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde at the Massareene base to pay tribute to the fatalities, who have been named as Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, from Birmingham and Cengiz 'Patrick' Azimka, 21, from Wood Green, London.

Last night the Real IRA claimed responsibility for the attack, which saw four others wounded, including two civilians.

It is believed the murdered soldiers were preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.

Both men were in their early twenties.

Three of the injured remain in hospital in a serious condition, another is said to be serious but stable condition.

The two civilians who came under fire from the terrorists were delivering pizzas to the barracks.

Police are now hunting for three assailants. It is believed two men armed with automatic weapons opened fired at the base, moved forward, and fired further successive rounds at the wounded victims.

They were then driven away in a get-away car.

The Real IRA has since delivered a coded message to the Sunday Tribune newspaper claiming responsibility for the attack. The group's statement made no apologies for attacking civilians.

Real IRA members broke away from the Provisional IRA after 1997.

The group was behind one of the most horrific bomb attacks during the Troubles, killing 29 people, and unborn twins, when a car bomb detonated in the centre of Omagh more than 10 years ago.

Today security chiefs are said to be reviewing safety procedures at army bases and police stations across the province.

Last week Sir Hugh Orde warned the threat from dissidents was at its highest for many years.

MI5 raised the threat level in the province from 'serious' to 'severe', meaning an attack was though to be imminent.

However, Sir Hugh has played down suggestions more special forces will now be deployed in Northern Ireland, having earlier revealed a team of terrorism experts had already been put under his command.

There has been broad condemnation of the weekend's executions from Northern Ireland's political parties.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said the murders were "counter productive", a sentiment echoed by party colleague and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Mr McGuinness and First Minister Peter Robinson yesterday cancelled a week long trade mission to the USA, in response to the latest terrorist incident.

In the past 18 months dissident fractions have attempted to assassinate several police officers, and planted a number of viable devices, which have so far been foiled by the PSNI.

(PR/JM)