Executive Summary
- Two viable pipe bombs were discovered in the Glenabbey Close and Beraghvale areas of Londonderry after an overnight security alert.
- Police evacuated approximately two dozen homes as a safety precaution while the devices were investigated.
- Ammunition technical officers successfully declared the pipe bombs viable, made them safe, and removed them for forensic analysis.
- Authorities condemned the act, highlighting the significant disruption and danger it posed to the local community.
Two viable pipe bombs were discovered in Londonderry following a significant overnight security operation that led to the evacuation of nearly two dozen homes. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed the devices were found in the Glenabbey Close and Beraghvale areas after a report was received shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Authorities implemented a public safety operation, establishing cordons and evacuating residents, including families with children, from the surrounding vicinity. Ammunition technical officers were dispatched to the scene, where they examined the devices and declared them to be viable pipe bombs. The explosives were subsequently made safe and removed for further forensic examination.
Chief Inspector Graeme Craig highlighted the severe disruption caused by the alert, noting the unsettling experience for residents forced to leave their homes on a cold and wet night. He stated, “To have had to leave their homes in the hours of darkness… will have been really unsettling, and caused massive disruption for people trying to get to work this morning and children attending school.”
In a statement, Chief Inspector Craig condemned the act, emphasizing the potential danger the devices posed. “These devices have been declared as being viable and it is fortunate they did not detonate before they were discovered,” he said. “Those who are responsible have absolutely no regard for the local community. It is reprehensible.”
Following the operation, all evacuated residents have been permitted to return to their homes. The PSNI will maintain a presence in the area as they continue their investigation and have appealed to the public for any information regarding suspicious activity in the last 24 hours.