Authorities in Northern Ireland issued a security alert Sunday following reports of a car bomb detonation outside a police station in Dunmurry, a community near Belfast.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that nearby residents have been moved from their homes as a safety measure, and officials are urging the public to stay away from the affected area.
“It is distressing and disturbing to wake up to the news that a car bomb exploded outside Dunmurry police station last night,” said Sorcha Eastwood, a member of the U.K. Parliament who represents the Langan Valley, southwest of Belfast.
“A busy area, a car bomb left outside residential housing, small businesses and any number of people out and about on a Saturday night working or socialising,” she said. “It is only through the grace of God that there are no casualties.”
Authorities have not disclosed any details regarding the motivation behind the bombing.
The incident follows a similar attack last month when law enforcement reported that a “crude but viable” homemade explosive device was used in an attempted strike against another PSNI facility in Lurgan, approximately 20 miles southwest of Dunmurry.
In that case, two individuals wearing masks intercepted a delivery driver, placed the explosive in his vehicle’s trunk, and threatened him with a weapon to transport the device to the police facility, officials reported. Authorities conducted a controlled detonation after evacuating roughly 100 residences.
Law enforcement characterized the Lurgan incident as likely the work of dissident Republican factions in what they called a “pathetic attempt to remain relevant and provoke fear.”
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 brought an end to most of the violence that had persisted for decades between Republican factions opposing British control and those supporting Northern Ireland’s connection to the United Kingdom. However, extremist groups that reject the peace agreement continue to conduct occasional attacks.
