[size=“2”]Car bomb explodes near North base[/size]
The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for a bomb that exploded this morning in a hijacked taxi behind a British army barracks in Holywood, Co Down.
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The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for a bomb that exploded this morning in a hijacked taxi behind a British army barracks in Holywood, Co Down.
One elderly man was injured in the 12.24am attack at Palace Barracks in Holywood, Co Down, which houses the headquarters of MI5’s security services in Northern Ireland.
The attack was timed to coincide with the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Stormont Assembly today.
Intelligence issues handled by MI5 will remain under British control despite the transfer. A taxi driver in north Belfast was held hostage for two hours before he was forced to drive the bomb to the base in his car.
Security personnel were evacuating the area when the device exploded, and some of the 30 to 40 residents who were fleeing the scene at the time described diving for cover to avoid shrapnel from the blast.
“The taxi driver got out [of the car] and shouted ‘It’s a bomb, it’s a bomb!’ and we were evacuating the area when it exploded,” a police spokeswoman said.
The attack came as responsibility for law and order policy was transferred from London to Belfast at midnight, marking the end of 38 years of Whitehall control.