▁human ▁shield s ▁or ▁host ages ). ▁The ▁Ul ster ▁Vol unte er ▁Force ▁rep licated ▁I RA ▁actions ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁bomb ings ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁The ▁t actic ▁was ▁later ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁F AR C ▁in ▁Colombia ▁and ▁by ▁reb els ▁in ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Civil ▁War . ▁▁ ▁The ▁t actic ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁by ▁Palest in ian ▁milit ants ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁bomb ▁a ▁commercial ▁air line ▁flight . ▁The ▁t actic ▁has ▁been ▁compared ▁to ▁a ▁suic ide ▁bomb , ▁but ▁each ▁bom ber ▁is ▁co er ced , ▁rather ▁than ▁being ▁a ▁volunte er . ▁ ▁Early ▁proxy ▁bomb s ▁The ▁first ▁proxy ▁bomb s ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁during ▁the ▁Tr ou bles . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁increased ▁searches ▁and ▁surve ill ance ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁security ▁forces ▁were ▁making ▁it ▁harder ▁for ▁I RA ▁members ▁to ▁plant ▁their ▁bomb s ▁and ▁escape . ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁I RA ▁introduced ▁the ▁proxy ▁bomb ▁t actic ▁in ▁March ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁proxy ▁bomb ings , ▁the ▁driver ▁and ▁nearby ▁civ ili ans ▁would ▁usually ▁be ▁given ▁enough ▁time ▁to ▁fle e ▁the ▁area ▁before ▁the ▁bomb ▁det on ated . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁proxy ▁bomb ▁attacks ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁I RA ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁when ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁Northern ▁Ireland ' s ▁For ens ics