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A SUSPECTED firearm has been discovered following a report of a suspicious object in the Drum Road area near Kildress.
Houses and properties in the area were evacuated and the main Cookstown to Omagh Road closed for a period due to the alert.
The suspected firearm has been taken away for further examination.
“During the public safety operation which followed, a number of properties were evacuated and a section of the Drum Road was closed,” said the PSNI.
“A suspected firearm was recovered from the scene and removed for further examination.
“We have now been able to reopen the road and residents have returned to their homes while our investigation continues. I want to thank the local community for their cooperation and assistance during this time.
Anyone with any information is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 509 of 28/11/22, or to submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Mid-Ulster SDLP MLA, Patsy McGlone, said the alert had caused significant disruption to the local rural area on a Monday afternoon.
“There are a number of homes and businesses located in the vicinity of this alert and this is the last thing people want to be dealing with when trying to go about their lives,” he added.