Armagh. William Whitelaw, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, speaking at the House of Commons, claimed the IRA had six rocket launchers in its inventory to this date. 16 July 1972: Two British soldiers were killed in an IRA landmine attack on their armoured vehicle in Crossmaglen, County Armagh. In Belfast an RUC officer was killed in an IRA gun attack on his patrol car. A member of the IRA Youth Section (Na Fianna), was killed by a rubber bullet fired by security forces in Strabane, County Tyrone. 18 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead by an IRA sniper at the British Army base in Ballymurphy, Belfast. The IRA also shot dead a civilian who attempted to stop a bomb attack on a building in Belfast. 18 July 1972: Almost 30 shooting incidents were reported overnight by the British Army between soldiers crewing military outposts and IRA volunteers in the Bogside, Derry. 19 July 1972: A five-month-old boy, Alan Jack, was killed when an IRA car bomb exploded on Canal Street in Strabane. He was the youngest victim of the Troubles up to that point. 19 July 1972: A Protestant civilian (Henry Gray, aged 71), was shot dead by IRA members while trying to prevent the bombing of a bar in Springfield Road, Belfast. 20 July 1972: A Protestant civilian, (Robert Leggett, aged 50) was shot dead attempting to stop an IRA bomb attack on his business premises, Springfield Road, Belfast. 21 July 1972: On "Bloody Friday" 22 bombs in Belfast killed two British soldiers, a UDA member and six civilians and injured 130 others. The IRA officially apologised for this set of attacks in 2002. An IRA volunteer was killed in a gun battle with British troops in the Markets area of Belfast. 21 July 1972: A number of car bombs exploded in Derry. No casualties were reported. 21 July 1972: A train was derailed and the Belfast-Dublin railway was blocked by the explosion of an IRA bomb in Portadown. 23 July 1972: A UDR soldier was kidnapped and shot dead by the IRA in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. 24 July 1972: A Chinese restaurant was destroyed by an IRA bomb in the Dockside area of Derry. As British troops arrived on the scene they were ambushed by a sniper. One civilian was wounded in the crossfire. 24 July 1972: A British soldier was shot dead