Police foil Northern Ireland bomb plot

Police in Northern Ireland have foiled a planned car bomb attack near Enniskillen, the venue for the G8 summit that is due to take place in June.

The bomb was discovered in a car abandoned at the side of a road in County Fermanagh about 15 miles from the Lough Erne resort, where leaders of the world’s eight biggest economies will meet.

The police said a viable device was discovered on board the vehicle and had been made safe by the army.

“The people responsible for this have no regard for the lives of anyone in our community. It is fortunate that no one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this reckless act,” said Pauline Shields, PSNI district commander.

Police said they suspected the intended target for the bomb was Lisnaskea Police Station.

The planned bomb attack near Enniskillen follows an escalation in activity by dissident republican terrorists opposed to the peace process over the past month.

Last week the PSNI discovered a mortar-type device aimed at a police station in north Belfast. Three officers narrowly escaped injury in a separate incident when an explosive device detonated close to where they were patrolling a coastal path on the outskirts of Belfast. In Londonderry two men were arrested when a van carrying four mortar bombs primed to be fired at a police station was intercepted.

The foiled attack in Enniskillen could prompt renewed diplomatic concerns ahead of the G8 summit, which will see David Cameron host US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders at the Lough Erne resort a few miles outside the town.

British officials confirmed in January that eyebrows were raised in some G8 capitals about the decision to host the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. Mr Cameron hoped the summit would showcase Northern Ireland’s recovery from the Troubles but a recent escalation in dissident activity and sustained rioting by loyalists last December ignited security concerns.

Political and security leaders in Northern Ireland insist the location for the summit is completely secure. Set on a dramatic 600-acre peninsula overlooking Lough Erne, the resort is surrounded by water on three sides. It has five helipads, a local airfield and access for seaplanes, which should enable world leaders to avoid protesters.