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A REPORT FROM police in Northern Ireland has shown the number of bombing incidents has increased in the last year and is actually higher than ten years ago.

Though the PSNI notes that the security situation has improved in the last decade, “a significant threat still remains as evidenced by the increase in the number of bombing incidents” in the last year.

There were 69 bombing incidents in the last twelve months compared to 48, a decade ago.

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There was also an increase in the number of shooting incidents over the last 12 months compared to last year, totalling 51. The PSNI said the number of casualties from paramilitary style assaults over the last 12 months has risen though casualties from paramilitary style shootings has fallen.

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In the Republic, there has also been a number of incidents in which people have been shot paramilitary style, in the legs, in the last couple of years and gardaí continue to carry out operations to crack down on this activity.

The PSNI has arrested 213 people in the last 12 months for suspected involvement with terrorist activities and 40 people have been charged.

Today the Irish News reports that Tony Spence from the Police Federation warned that the situation could worsen unless extra police are recruited in the North.

“The chief constable is on record as saying recently hat the threat level remains at the upper level of severe only a notch away from critical so it is a serious situation but I am not surprised by these statistics,” he said.

Read: Man recovering after presenting to Mater Hospital with gunshot wounds to legs>