Dissident republicans are being blamed for a car bomb attack at a court in Northern Ireland last night.
Police said it was a 'miracle' no one was injured in the explosion outside Newry courthouse in Co Down shortly after 10.30pm.
The main gates were badly damaged in the explosion, which was within walking distance of restaurants and bars.
Police were still clearing the scene when it detonated.
Two coded bomb warnings were received at a local hospital and business around 30 minutes before the device went off.
PSNI area commander Chief Inspector Sam Cordiner condemned those responsible.
‘It is only by sheer miracle that nobody was killed or injured,’ he said.
The vehicle was reversed into the security gates of the court before being abandoned.
The area remained cordoned-off this morning as British Army bomb disposal experts checked for other devices.
Police say the device could have been approximately 113kg (250lbs).
A number of streets in the city have reopened following last night's attack.
Trevor Hill, Sandys Street, Windsor Hill, Rathfriland Road, Canal Street, Sugar Island and Armagh Road are all open to traffic.
However the area around Newry courthouse will remain closed overnight.
These include New Street, Canal Quay and a stretch of Downshire Road.
Politicians condemn attack
Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have condemned the bombing.
'The people who carried out this attack are determined to destroy all that has been achieved in recent months,' said Mr Robinson.
'They will not succeed, for I am equally determined that we will continue to move forward and to protect and defend the very same institutions they seek to destroy.'
Mr McGuinness said: 'I am determined that last night's attack will not undermine the progress we have made.'
Taoiseach Brian Cowen condemned the attack, saying co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI was at an all-time high.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said: 'This was a reckless, cowardly, criminal act which put at grave risk the lives of the community in Newry.
'This attack cannot be justified or excused. Its only purpose was to inflict suffering. Its perpetrators have no mandate or legitimacy.'
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he strongly condemned the bombers behind the Newry blast.
His spokesman told reporters: 'Such action is, we believe, entirely unrepresentative of the views of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland.'
The car bombing came only three days after a failed mortar bomb attack at a police station in the village of Keady, Co Armagh.
Kelly's work will nor be 'derailed'
US Special Envoy Declan Kelly met First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Stormont today.
Afterwards, during a visit to Queen's University, he was asked if he thought attacks such as the one in Newry would deter US investment in the North.
Mr Kelly said last night's events would not derail his work to encourage investment in Northern Ireland.
He said businesses made investment decisions on the basis of a long-term prognosis about the viability of the economy and not on one-off or infrequent events like last night's.
He said he had every confidence the PSNI would pursue those behind the attack.
He said such attacks made his job very difficult but he would not be derailed by them because the price for Northern Ireland was much too great and that stability was essential to future progression.
He believed the events of recent weeks, including the moves to secure the devolution of policing and justice and the agreed timetable for it (in the Hillsborough agreement), were overwhelmingly more important than the attack in Newry.
