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IMC may report on attempted abduction

The Independent Monitoring Commission is considering issuing a report on the attempted abduction of a dissident republican in Belfast last month.

The IMC is to consider whether it should issue an ad-hoc report on the attempted kidnapping of Bobby Tohill from a Belfast city centre bar.

The commission was set up by the British and Irish governments last year to monitor paramilitary activity.

The two governments had asked it to bring forward its first report on paramilitary activity following concerns about IRA involvement in the incident.

However, the Provisional IRA has denied that its leadership authorised the attempted abduction of Mr Tohill.

IRA, UDA behind attacks - Orde

Earlier today, the Chief Constable of the North's Police Service, Hugh Orde, said the IRA and the Ulster Defence Association are behind many punishment beatings and shootings.

Speaking on BBC, Mr Orde said the paramilitary groups were crippling their own communities.

He said the incidents showed that the requirement in the Good Friday Agreement to end to all paramilitary activity had not been met.

SDLP condemns letter bomb attack

In a separate development, the SDLP leader, Mark Durkan, has condemned the letter bomb attack on the home of the Chairman of the District Policing Partnership in Strabane, Tom McBride.

Mr McBride has said he intends to remain in his position despite the attack. He discovered the device packed inside a brown padded envelope when he returned home from work in Plumbridge last night.

The device was defused by British Army experts. This is the second time Mr McBride has been targeted.