A senior police officer has condemned a bomb attack on police in Lurgan, Co Armagh, yesterday, describing it as a "a clear attempt to murder."
Remnants of an improvised explosive device, which exploded during the alert, have now been recovered along with another device which was not capable of detonating, following the incident in the Victoria street area.
Superintendent David Moore said: "The viable device that detonated during today's operation was significant and absolutely designed to kill.
The PSNI said that the alert began with a call to the Samaritans this morning, that claimed a device, which had been aimed at a police patrol during the early hours, had failed to explode.
A suspicious object was quickly located by responding officers and the area was evacuated. A search was carried out, during which the second device detonated.
The PSNI do not believe that a device was at any time 'fired' at a police patrol. Both devices appear to have been planted in the area.
Superintendent David Moore said that the phone call and the first device were designed to lure police into the area to be targeted by the second device.
He said: "It was a clear and unequivocal murder attempt on the policemen and women who serve the community in Lurgan.
Families were moved from their homes and the Belfast to Dublin railway line was closed during the incident.
1 of 3 Security alert in Lurgan is over. Viable improvised explosive device, which exploded during the clearance op, has been recovered.
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) July 18, 2015
2 of 3 Alert began after Samaritans received call that device fired at police failed to detonate. Device incapable of exploding was found.
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) July 18, 2015
3 of 3 It's believed officers were lured to the area by the initial call and first device to be targeted by secondary, significant device.
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) July 18, 2015
