An explosion outside a police station near Belfast has been linked to a dissident republican splinter group and is being treated as an “attempted murder”.
Police in Northern Ireland have foiled a suspected car bomb attack, with residents evacuated moments before an explosion outside a station in Dunmurry, south-west of Belfast. Authorities suspect the New Irish Republican Army (New IRA), a dissident republican splinter group, was behind the blast.
The incident occurred late on Saturday night, when a hijacked vehicle carrying a gas cylinder device was parked outside the station. At a press conference on Sunday, PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the criminals forced a delivery driver to drive a car to the site and abandon it. Officers spotted the vehicle, deemed it suspicious, sounded the alarm and rushed to evacuate nearby homes.
“Several residents, including two infants, were being carried to safety by officers when the device detonated, engulfing the vehicle in flames and scattering debris in all directions.” He said it by saying ‘A’ “Cowardly attack.”
Initial reports, including a report from the Belfast Telegraph, indicate that a car bomb was detonated outside a police station in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland today. Reports claim that like other recent incidents last year, a stolen car was used in this incident. Law… pic.twitter.com/JWVbPlAdHf
– OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) 25 April 2026
According to police, there is no information about anyone being injured. “No less than a miracle,” However the explosion caused considerable damage. The incident is being investigated “attempted murder,” The counter-terrorism unit is leading the investigation.
Singleton said “Early Working Hypothesis” Pointing to the New IRA, noting parallels with a failed attack last month in Lurgan, about 30km south-west of Belfast, where a delivery driver was forced at gunpoint to carry an explosive device which did not detonate. The group later claimed responsibility for that effort.
The New IRA has been designated a terrorist organization in Britain and is considered the most active dissident republican group in Northern Ireland. Formed in 2012 from factions that rejected the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, it aims to end British rule and achieve a united Ireland through armed struggle.
When asked whether there is currently a terrorist threat level in Northern Ireland “satisfactory” – There should be a re-evaluation after Saturday’s incident, Singleton declined to give a direct answer but said the attack “Reminds us of murderous intent and capacity.” The need for vigilance against extremist groups was stressed.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack while pledging to “Those responsible will be brought to justice.”
I completely condemn the attack on Dunmurry Police Station last night. My thoughts are with the local community and the PSNI officers who work every day to keep people safe. I urge anyone with information to come forward. Those responsible will be brought to justice.
– Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) 26 April 2026
His government has maintained a zero-tolerance stance on the New IRA and stepped up efforts to curb its funding, including asset-freezing orders targeting suspected money laundering. Last month, Starmer and Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin agreed to set up a joint task force to monitor dissident groups and cross-border crime.
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