The Garda Commissioner has said that, at this stage of the inquiry into the death of a garda at Abbeyleix, it appears that the only shots fired were by a Garda unit.
Explaining the background to the incident, Commissioner Pat Byrne said in recent months the Garda Emergency Response Unit had been targeting those suspected of being involved in armed robberies throughout the country.
A number of these robberies, he said, have been carried out by Dublin-based gangs. He said that between 4pm and 5pm today, as part of this operation, Gardaí from specialist units based in Dublin were on duty in Abbeyleix.
At the same time, three cars arrived outside the AIB bank. These suspects were confronted by the Gardai and shots were discharged by a garda unit, resulting in the death of one garda and the injury of another. However, those injuries are believed to be not of a serious nature.
It is understood the garda killed was in his 40s and married. He had three children, ranging in age from 15 years to a baby.
Four people were arrested and two of those have been taken Portlaoise General Hospital. It is believed they are suffering from graze wounds, due to gunshots.
Commissioner Byrne said he had appointed an Assistant Commissioner to carry out a comprehensive investigation into all the facts. He said everyone's thoughts at this time were with the wife and family of the fallen garda, and with his colleagues involved in the operation.
Detectives are trying to establish if there is a connection between the attempted robbery in Abbeyleix and an earlier incident in Urlingford, County Kilkenny.
In that incident, at around 2.30pm, four armed men robbed the Bank of Ireland branch at Urlingford. They escaped with £3,000 to £5,000 and headed towards Thurles.
Political leaders have been offering their sympathy to the family of the garda killed. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said, "It is unfortunately a reminder of the very real danger that members of the Garda Síochána regularly face in attempting to safeguard the community from the activities of criminals."
President Mary McAleese has expressed her shock at the death. The President has conveyed her sympathies to the Garda Commissioner, on the loss of a brave and committed colleague, and has asked the Commissioner to extend her condolences to the bereaved family.
The Fine Gael Leader, Michael Noonan, said he wanted to offer his deepest sympathy to the man's wife and family, as did Labour's justice spokesman Brendan Howlin.
Mr Howlin said he wished to condemn in the strongest possible terms the shooting dead of the garda in County Laois. He said the dead garda joined the growing lists of members of the force who had laid down their lives in the battle against paramilitary and criminal gangs.
Today's shooting brings to 31 the number of Gardaí who have been shot dead in confrontations with criminals or subversives since the force was founded 79 years ago.
The first garda to be killed was 22-year-old Henry Phelan from Callan in County Kilkenny, who was shot dead in November 1922. Fifteen Gardaí have died since the Northern conflict re-erupted in the late 1960s.
