Police in Northern Ireland announced on 17 May that the discovery of a cache of weapons was the most significant in years. The New IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann have all warned that they intend to escalate their violent campaigns this year, the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule. The haul included two automatic rifles, three handguns, ammunition and an explosive device which had been planted by dissident republicans to kill police officers. Republican dissidents are suspected of having hidden the cache. The police said that members of the public had discovered the weapons while walking in the forest, although security analysts cast doubt on this, suggesting that the cache would have been far better hidden. The weapons discovery follows the decision to raise the threat to ‘severe’ for a terrorist attack on the mainland. A number of dissident groups, including the New IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann, have warned of their intention to escalate their campaigns during the course of this year.
Police in Northern Ireland announced on 17 May that the discovery of a cache of weapons was the most significant in years. The haul included two automatic rifles, three handguns, ammunition and an explosive device which had been planted by dissident republicans to kill police officers. Republican dissidents are suspected of having hidden the cache. The police said that members of the public had discovered the weapons while walking in the forest, although security analysts cast doubt on this, suggesting that the cache would have been far better hidden. The weapons discovery follows the decision to raise the threat to ‘severe’ for a terrorist attack on the mainland. A number of dissident groups, including the New IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann, have warned of their intention to escalate their campaigns during the course of this year.