NI Secretary of State condemns Poleglass terror bid
Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has condemned an attempted terror attack in Poleglass, on the outskirts of west Belfast.
On Wednesday, police confirmed that a suspect device found in the area after a three-day alert was an armour-piercing rocket intended to kill officers.
Dissident republicans have been blamed.
In a statement, Mr Brokenshire said: “Since Monday, police - along with the Army's bomb squad - have worked tirelessly to keep people safe and prevent this device exploding.
“I am very glad to say that they have succeeded, an act of terror has been avoided, and lives have been saved.
“I would encourage anyone with information about this foiled attack to share it with the police.”
These people don’t speak for the community which they subjected to days of upset and inconvenience.
The Police Federation has also condemned those responsible and has called for the community to help “root out terrorists”.
Chairman Mark Lindsay said: “It’s bad enough that we have dissident republicans still wedded to murdering police officers and causing untold misery for the local community.
“Just as bad is the number of people behind them who assembled the IED, know where parts were sourced, and know who was responsible for it and where it was put together.
“They’re just as guilty as the murderous thugs who abandoned it in a busy area. They, too, should be made amenable and handed down meaningful prison sentences.”