Fifth arrest in Londonderry car bomb blast investigation
A fifth man has been arrested by detectives investigating a car bomb blast outside a court in Londonderry.
The man, 50, was detained under the Terrorism Act. Four men arrested on Sunday remained in police custody on Monday afternoon.
Officers probing the dissident republican bombing on Saturday night arrested the latest suspect for questioning about an armed robbery in the city last Tuesday.
The arrest came as police investigated reports of a vehicle hijacking in Derry on Monday morning.
A security alert was triggered following a report that three masked men hijacked a white Transit van in the Circular Road area before throwing an object in the back and abandoning the vehicle.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said: “We are now putting in place cordons in the area, and we anticipate significant disruption to the local community while we work to make the scene safe.
Homes evacuated in Circular Rd area of Derry/Londonderry after vehicle hijacked around 11:30am; 3 masked men hijacked white Transit van, before abandoning it. Community centre in Central Dr open to those evacuated. Cordons in place. We appreciate your patience. Updates to follow
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 21, 2019
“We understand the effect this will have on the local community, but we will not take any chances when it comes to keeping people safe.”
A dissident republican grouping that styles itself as the New IRA has been blamed for the bombing on Bishop Street.
Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident released by police showed a group of people walking past the car containing the bomb just minutes before the explosion.
