Strabane plunged into state of turmoil by dissident activity

In the past week communities in Strabane have been plunged into turmoil following a series of security alerts, searches and arrests due to dissident activity in the town.

That turmoil began last Thursday evening when an improvised explosive device was targeted towards a police patrol in the Mount Carmel Heights, damaging the vehicle.

This attack on police, believed to be the work of the New IRA, led to a massive operation being mounted on the estate where residents were confined to their homes, with no-one being allowed in or out all of Thursday night and most of Friday, although an alternative route through Bracken Gate was erected, allowing parents to attend work and children to attend school.

On Friday afternoon, a number of residents from the Evish Grove area just below Mount Carmel were forced from their homes with whatever they could carry following advice from police that a second device may be in the area.
Some people living in Mount Carmel Heights described the incident as ‘a nightmare’, disrupting families trying to go about daily life.

Searches were carried out in Mount Carmel Heights and in a premises in St Colman’s Drive in the days following the attack and four men, aged 38, 36, 36, and 28, were taken into custody. They were detained at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite and questioned but were later released without charge.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said in a press conference on Friday that Thursday night’s incident was being treated as attempted murder and promised that there would be a heightened police presence in Strabane following the attack.

Many thought that would be the end of it however further disruption came on Monday night after another security operation was carried out in Innisfree Gardens, leading to more disruption. After being called to the area around 8pm, police conducted a search of a property in the estate and a 38-year-old man was arrested. He has since been released following questioning.

During the five-hour operation, two controlled explosions were carried out on an object the police later deemed as ‘nothing untoward’ and a number of items were removed for further examination. Residents were advised to evacuate from their homes or stay in the rear of houses as the controlled explosions were carried out.

Those who did leave their homes were not allowed back in until the early hours of Tuesday morning prompting a furious reaction from residents, community and political representatives at the heavy-handedness of the PSNI.

A third night of raids then took place on Tuesday after police entered a house in the Glebe, removing a number of items from the property and a 50-year-old man was arrested in connection with Thursday’s attack.

At the time of going to press he remained in custody.

Sinn Fein First Minister Designate, Michelle O’Neill, who was pictured talking to residents in Strabaneon Tuesday night has said that, “those who seek to drag society backwards will not succeed.”

She continued, “The bomb attack in Strabane was reckless and reprehensible. My thoughts are with the two officers and everyone caught up in the incident including more than 1,000 residents whose lives were disrupted.”