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A SECURITY OPERATION is underway in Belfast after an explosion on a city centre street overnight.
At around 9.30pm last night a number of masked men hijacked a car in the Jamaica Street area of North Belfast.
A device was placed in the car and the driver told to take it to Victoria Square. A security operation commenced and a number of residents and premises in the area were evacuated.
At around 11.15pm as police prepared to examine the car the device partially exploded.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
Buildings around the Vitoria Street area, where PSNI officers are inspecting a suspect car.
The PSNI evacuated the area around the Victoria Square shopping centre and Court Service before a bang was heard.
Victoria Street, Chichester Street, May Street, Oxford Street, Ann Street, Seymour Street were closed to traffic from around 9.30pm after the alert was reported.
The PSNI said traffic disruption was likely to be in place for a “number of hours”.
A spokesperson added:
“Police are continuing to deal with a security alert in Belfast City centre. It is likely that this will continue for a number of hours.”
Police would appeal to anyone who has any information about the incident or anyone who has any information about the movements of the silver coloured Renault Laguna car, registration number CJZ 4697 to contact Detectives at Musgrave Police Station on 0845 600 8000.
The Police Federation of Northern Ireland said on Twitter “PSNI and ATO are dealing with a complex and ongoing fluid situation in Belfast. Please bear with us as this could continue for some time.”
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For Gods sake there is still brainless idiots out there.
@Frances……It could be dissidents that were responsible BUT, then again it could be British terrorists the MRF too?
Did I upset someone with my above comment, why? I’m critical of that sort of carry on, people need to embrace the Peace Process that was initially the concept of Republicans :-(
Michael.
Think what you’re saying ATOs are British soldiers the whole IED disposal team are British soldiers. MRF which disbanded decades ago or any other supposed following units are hardly likely to place a device which could kill their own.
Plus the intelligence gathering role which was mainly through patrolling of the British Army has stopped.
GROW UP
Steve the MRF a secret British terrorist group hence my suspicion that the explosive device
(“Partially exploded.”)
Do you want us to believe that British terrorist group the MRF murder-squad are going to inform the public that they are active?
GROW UP!
AICS, you are so naive, firstly to believe that MRF actually “disbanded” and also to think that British or pro British elements would not benefit from the death of “their own”… Britain’s war in the north of Ireland was always mostly a propaganda war. False flag military or paramilitary operations designed to deceive as though they were being carried out by other entities is standard practice in British military history.
The MRF was “disbanded” into the Force Research Unit (FRU), who “disbanded” to become the 14th Intel or “The Det” as they were also known. They in turn “disbanded” and the CO became “Military Attaché” to the British Embassy in China. What spooky black ops crowd are running around the North now is hard to figure out but you can be guaranteed there is one.
Michael, even in your comments you’re being antagonistic.
Whoever did this, be they Republicans, Loyalists or the Peoples Front of Judea are nothing more than criminals motivated by hatred and a desire to go back to the past = more security forces, more division, more hurt.
It is not the ‘MRF’. The Peace Process was not solely the concept of Republicans.
There is no blag flag operation, no Government conspiracy, the devolved government of NI has no vested interest in blowing up its own citizens.
Please, condemn this for what it is – a senseless act committed by a few numbskulls.
Lethal allies: British collusion in Ireland
Last month the Pat Finucane Centre book ‘Lethal Allies: British Collusion in Ireland’ was published. Drawing on previously unpublished reports from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)’s Historical Enquiries Team, author Anne Cadwallader confirms the extent to which the British-controlled Northern Irish state apparatus was itself, along with Ulster’s network of Masonic Orange Order lodges, a lawless terrorist organisation.
Cadwallader shows how the British government in the form of the police (RUC), army (UDR), secret services (MI5) as well as secret units such as the Force Research Unit (FRU) systematically targeted Republicans, pouring petrol on the flames of an already bloody sectarian conflict in which over 3,000 people died.
Panorama’s revelations firm up evidence that the state was shooting dead rather than attempting to arrest and try suspects. This so-called ‘shoot to kill’ policy was vehemently denied by Westminster politicians of all colors through two decades of troubles.
Even the more extreme accounts of state terrorism, such as the much ridiculed 1996 ‘Nemesis File’ book by supposed former SAS soldier Paul Bruce begin to look credible.
Blah, blah, blah, blah Michael.
So what?
Police are blaming dissident republican terrorists for this incident which was the third security alert to hit Belfast. The PSNI Chief Constable said dissident republicans seemed to be involved in a “bizarre competition” driven by a philosophy that is “simply hatred”. It follows a surge in terrorist activity from dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.
I can copy and paste too.
You seem to be drawing a dangerous thread that connects or falsely justifies recent criminal activity with events that happened in 1972.
It’s not warranted or justified.
Yeah, Steve you’re so naive- all of the troubles was a dastardly ‘false flag’manouevre run by the British to stoke anti-Irish feeling. There never was any IRA!! It was all the MRF fighting the normal British Army!!
Some absolutely bats conspiracy theories on here folks. The device partially exploded because RIRA are technically inept- they don’t have the manpower because they don’t have the popular support base. They are a bunch of psychotic dinosaurs clinging onto an undemocratic, outdated ideology. This sort of stunt gathers no support and risks mudering people from both communities and from both sides of the border. I’m from Dublin but was in that shopping centre this time last week.
Michael, Padraic – keep that green flag flying but be careful it doesn’t knock off your tinfoil hat. Those satelites are watching you!
Alan,
Well said. Just think all those years the British Army and the RUC were fighting themselves.
Alan, your comment about naivety is most naive. You really should educate yourself, and by educate yourself I don’t mean read whacko blogs on the net, I mean read books by respected authors, ex soldiers, politicians etc. The north was a playground for British military. Covert operations were the norm during the troubles. Do you think, just because there is relative peace now that these operators are all gone back to Blighty for tea and sarnies? And do you think MI6 don’t tap our politicians phones? Then you sir are the naive one. And I don’t need to wear a tinfoil hat to tell you that.
cant see why that statement would get so many thumbs down !!
hahahahah steve you are so stupid i love reading your comments i really do,i hope you live a long live steve
Thanks Lord Loverocket but I’d ask on what planet would it make sense for the British Army/MI6 to stage a ‘mock attempted car bomb’ in an era where the North is -as you say- at relative peace? What particular aim could they possibly be attempting to meet? The Troubles were undoubtedly dirty war on both sides but its important that the likes of the MRFetc are put in their historical context.
Allan you seem to be saying that the British army would have no agenda that planting a car bomb would suit. I don’t for a minute think this was them this time. But in the interests of fairness given you think it only suits them if they have an agenda, could you then explain what you think their agenda was in the troubles shooting innocent Catholics. Please then explain what group the two soldiers killed in 1987 belonged to as they drove into an IRA funeral somehow passing thru security checkpoints who had sealed off the road. Military intelligence in what ever form you call it is still around.
I’m not denying that at all, what I’m saying is you cannot compare the period of The Troubles to now. The British Army (via the MRF) in that period engaged in a completely unjustifiable attack on the Catholic commuity somehow feeling that this was a way of dealing with the counter-insurgency that they were facing at that time.
But people on here are making the absolutely stark-raving bonkers point that in a time of relative peace, facing no sustained or popular terror campaign (albeit the odd attack by RIRA psychopaths) the British Army would decide to plant or stage a car-bomb on a shopping centre!!!!
Just because it happened in 1972 does not mean it is happening now.
“blah blah blah” bernard its always fun when you get home from school to debate with us but be a good little boy and dont forget to do your homework before bed
Residents had to leave their homes until 6 this morning imagine the hassle of it being up for work today these people are low lives like causing disruption for decent citizens cause they failed themselves
The aul freedom fighters are at it again.just a pity the car didnt explode with these fools in it.they would have been a small loss
Actually these ‘brave’ lads forced someone else to drive the car containing the bomb.
So the heroes whether Republican or “Loyalist” are back. Proxy bombing the most cowardly of all, hated them then, hate them still. Really brave men, I don’t think
MRF the undercover unit carried out a series of drive-by shootings where people were killed and injured – even though there was no evidence that they were armed or IRA members.
Panorama programme links MRF soldiers to five incidents in Belfast in 1972 where two civilians died and 12 others were injured.
“We were not there to act like an Army unit, we were there to act like a terror group,” a former MRF soldier says.
Wind your neck in!
Yeah, speaking about 1972. There was a war going on then. That war is over now.
Things like this don’t do Belfast tourism any good id imagine. Stupid clowns trying to drag the north into the past.
Was in the cinema last night near there and it was evacuated, armed police everywhere they said it was a security alert that a car had been abandoned suspiciously.. Loads of streets were closed Off. Nice start to the holiday :)
This is getting ridiculous now. Violence and thuggery from either side is to be condemned. Those who left this bomb are just as bad as those idiots who stand with British flags and block roads and attack police. They don’t represent the good people of my city, that’s for sure!
I hope it turns out to be a car backfire or something else less sinister.
It blew out the back window and side door of the car according to the BBC.
I am cautious to conclude this was an IRA bomb. Not after the recent shocking revelations that clandestine British Government forces were driving into nationalist areas and shooting innocent Irish people dead on the street – it’s very likely they were also planting bombs – you just don’t know. Sadly, there may be more of this until the cancer of British involvement in Ireland is only a distant memory – Irish history is repeating – the world’s longest conflict.
Why would the Brits plant a bomb? What have they got to gain from it in a time of relative( though not perfect) peace?
I actually rather like having the Brits in Ireland. They do save us several billion a year and make lovely biscuits. Brits in!
It looks like ‘republican’ thugs.
Justice for jean
What peace process
You don’t give two shits about Jean McConville. It is obvious you are using her name repeatedly, only to score cheap political points…Kenneth your behaviour on this board in that respect, is dishonest and sickening.
May God truly rest the soul of the poor woman, protect her from those that misuse her memory, and bring the thugs that murdered her to justice.
Why is that building on the right hand side blurred out
You’ve clearly never used Goggle Maps Street View have you…
It could be just the vibration from the explosion, Ger.
Still doesn’t answer my question smart arse
Is it not an ruc pnsi base
have your say