Car Explosion Outside Belfast Police Station Treated as Attempted Murder

A car explosion outside a police station in Dunmurry, on the outskirts of Belfast, is being investigated as an attempted murder, with police saying the New IRA is suspected of carrying out the attack. The incident occurred late on Saturday when a delivery driver’s vehicle was hijacked, fitted with a gas cylinder device, and driven to the police station before being abandoned. Officers evacuated nearby residents, including two babies, just before the device exploded, engulfing the vehicle in flames and sending debris in all directions. No one was injured in the blast.

Police Confirm Hijacking and Device Placement

According to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the car was hijacked shortly after 10:50 p.m. In the Twinbrook area of west Belfast. A gas cylinder device was placed in the boot of the vehicle, and the male delivery driver was ordered to drive it to Dunmurry police station in the Kingsway area and abandon it outside. PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the vehicle was left parked outside the station when the device detonated.

Singleton confirmed that officers had begun evacuating residents from nearby homes when the explosion occurred. “A number of residents, including two babies, were being taken to safety by officers when the device exploded,” he said at a press conference on Sunday. He praised the swift actions of police, stating that their courage prevented any injuries despite the device exploding during an active evacuation.

Investigation Focuses on New IRA

Police have stated that their early working hypothesis is that the New IRA is responsible for the attack. Singleton noted “very many similarities” between this incident and a similar hijacking and bombing attempt at Lurgan police station in County Armagh the previous month, which the New IRA had claimed responsibility for.

“obviously our investigators will keep an open mind, it is still at the very early stages of the investigation,” Singleton added. The PSNI is treating the incident as attempted murder and continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the hijacking, device placement, and explosion.

Community and Political Reaction

The explosion prompted evacuations in a residential area with many elderly residents. Local politicians condemned the attack, with First Minister Michelle O’Neill stating that those behind it “speak for absolutely no one,” and DUP leader Gavin Robinson saying that police and the public “should never have to face this kind of danger.”

Singleton emphasized that although the device may have lacked sophistication, its utilize in a populated area demonstrated “reckless unpredictability.” He added that thanks to the swift actions of officers, no one was harmed, which he described as “nothing short of miraculous.”

The investigation remains ongoing, with police urging anyone with information to reach forward as they work to determine the full details of the attack and those responsible.