3 March 1979: An Army Air Corps Gazelle was heavily damaged when engaged with machine gun fire by an IRA unit at Glassdrumman, County Armagh, Both the pilot and a Grenadier Guards Major were wounded. In spite of his injuries, the pilot flew the battered helicopter back to Crossmaglen base. 19 March 1979: An IRA unit launched a mortar attack on Newtownhamilton British army base. One British soldier was killed. 22 March 1979: Richard Sykes, then British Ambassador to the Netherlands, and his Dutch valet, Krel Straub, were killed in a gun attack in The Hague, Netherlands. The IRA also carried out 24 bomb attacks across Northern Ireland. 5 April 1979: Two British soldiers were killed when IRA snipers attacked the Andersonstown British Army barracks in Belfast. 11 April 1979: Two British soldiers were killed when IRA snipers ambushed their armoured mobile patrol in Ballymurphy, Belfast. 13 April 1979: An off-duty UDR soldier was shot dead by the IRA in Tynan, County Armagh. 16 April 1979: An IRA unit shot dead a Prison Officer in Clogher, County Tyrone. 17 April 1979: Four RUC officers were killed when the IRA exploded an estimated 1,000 pound van bomb at Bessbrook, County Armagh, believed to be the largest bomb used by the IRA up to that point. 19 April 1979: In Belfast a British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper. 25 April 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper while driving a lorry in County Tyrone. 29 April 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper in Edendork, County Tyrone. 6 May 1979: Two undercover British soldiers were shot dead by an IRA unit which ambushed their vehicle in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh. 9 May 1979: A British soldier was killed in an IRA bomb attack on his foot-patrol in the Turf Lodge area of Belfast. 19 May 1979: An ex-UDR man was shot dead by the IRA while delivering bread to a shop in Garrison, County Fermanagh 20 May 1979: An RUC officer was shot dead by the IRA outside of a church in Derry. 3 June 1979: Two RUC officers were killed when the IRA detonated a bomb underneath their patrol vehicle near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. 6 June 1979: A UDR soldier was shot dead in an IRA attack on a British Army base on the Malone Road in Belfast. 9 June 1979: