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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Louise Burne

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar condemns attempted murder of PSNI officers

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has condemned the attempted murder of two PSNI officers in Strabane.

Police in Northern Ireland have said that a security alert is ongoing following "what appears to have been a targeted attack on" officers.

It comes following an explosion in Strabane, Co Tyrone on Thursday night.

The incident occurred in the Mount Carmel Heights area and is believed to have been caused by an improvised explosive device.

The explosion caused damage to a police vehicle and is now being treated as the attempted murder of two officers, both of whom escaped injured.

Speaking at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Athlone on Friday evening, Mr Varadkar expressed “solidarity with the PSNI”.

“I think what it shows us 100 years since the foundation of the State, 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, there are still people on this island that don't accept democracy,” the Tánaiste said.

“[They] want to pursue political objectives through violence.

“We reject that. People north and south reject that.

“We'll be working very closely with the Northern Ireland authorities to find out who planted this bomb and bring them to justice.”

The attack was also condemned by Taoiseach Micheál Martin who called it “absolutely shocking”.

“Any such attempt to injure or to murder members of security forces and the PSNI, in particular, would be absolutely shocking,” Mr Martin

“It stands to be condemned in the most comprehensive manner.

“It's quite shocking if that is the case that something of that kind would happen, and we await charity, obviously, on the investigation.

“Anyone guilty of wrongdoing, we hope will be very quickly brought to justice.”

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