On Thursday, a bomb detonated at the side of the officers’ vehicle while they were on patrol in Strabane. It happened just before 11 p.m. in Mount Carmel Heights. After conducting a number of searches in Strabane, detectives arrested three men, aged 36, 36, and 28, under the Terrorism Act on Friday night. Both officers were unharmed. Detectives previously stated that a strong line of inquiry was that the attack was carried out by the dissident republican group the New IRA. PSNI assistant chief constable Bobby Singleton said earlier on Friday that the incident triggered a major security alert in the area. It impacted over 1,000 residents and prevented some children from attending school. During follow-up searches, police say they discovered what appears to be a command wire for the improvised explosive device. Mr Singleton stated that officers who were conducting routine patrols in the area due to ongoing antisocial behaviour were “shaken” when they saw a flash and heard a loud bang. “They left the area, returned to the station, and discovered evidence of blast damage to their police vehicle,” he explained. Chris Heaton-Harris, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, expressed relief that no one was hurt. “I condemn those responsible for this attempted attack and reiterate my support for the officers involved,” he said in a tweet. The attack was also condemned by PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, who called it “senseless.” Michelle O’Neill, deputy leader of Sinn Féin, called the attack “reprehensible and reckless.” Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson described the attack as “callous” and “cowardly,” saying those responsible offered “nothing but hurt and disruption for the communities they purport to represent.”
