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Five arrested over Lurgan bomb blast

Dissident republicans were blamed for last weekend's attack in Lurgan, Co Armagh
Dissident republicans were blamed for last weekend's attack in Lurgan, Co Armagh

Five men have been arrested by detectives investigating the attempted murder of police in a bomb blast in Northern Ireland.

Dissident republicans were blamed for last weekend's attack in Lurgan, Co Armagh, when police were lured to a bomb in the Victoria Street area, which was then detonated.

Police said the five suspects, aged 28, 31 and 36, and two 46-year-olds, were detained in Co Armagh over the last 24 hours.

PSNI officers were called to the scene near a cross-border railway line after a phone call to the Samaritans last Saturday claiming a device aimed at a police patrol during the early hours had failed to explode.

Homes were evacuated and a hoax device, which was not capable of detonating, was discovered.

But during a follow-up search by police to declare the area safe a suspected anti-personnel bomb exploded.
No-one was injured in the explosion.

The suspects have been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Antrim police station for questioning.