In 1985 the brigade now commanded by Patrick J Kelly , began a campaign of destroying remote RUC stations in rural areas and to stop anyone from rebuilding them to create liberated or no-go zones . On 7 December 1985 it launched an attack on the RUC barracks in Ballygawley , destroying the RUC base , killing two RUC officers and wounding three . The attack at Ballygawley was just one in a series of attacks by the South Armagh and East Tyrone brigades of the IRA against RUC/British Army bases in rural areas beginning with the 28 February Newry attack which killed nine RUC officers . On 23 June 1985 the IRA fired four mortars at the Crossmaglen British Army base causing no injuries but damaging the base . Four days after the Ballygawley attack , on 11 December 1985 , the Tyrone IRA claimed responsibility for mortaring Tynan RUC base , in North Armagh in which four RUC officers were injured . On 19 December the RUC base in Castlederg , in west County Tyrone , was wrecked by a shell during a mortar attack carried out again by the Tyrone IRA . Seven people were injured , and about 250 families evacuated . The East Tyrone IRA attacked bases in East Tyrone and North Armagh , while the South Armagh brigade attacked bases in South Armagh , South Down and some attacks in East Fermanagh . The attack on The Birches was to be the next big attack of the East Tyrone brigade 's campaign against British security force bases
Newry attack
1985 Newry mortar attack
Attack on RUC Birches barracks