Updated 8.57 am

FOUR MEN HAVE been arrested after the Defence Forces made safe a viable explosive device in Longford last night.

The men, ranging in ages from late 20s to late 40s, were arrested by officers investigating dissident republican activity.

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found in the Ballymahon area of the county after a search on a private vehicle on a rural road around 4 km outside of the town.

For public safety, the area was closed off and road closures put in place. The R392 was closed at Forgney to facilitate the operation.

The army bomb disposal team arrived on the scene at 9.11pm. The explosive was dealt with without the need for a controlled explosion, with the area being declared safe at 10.35pm.

The Defence Forces have said that “items of an evidential nature” have been handed over to gardaí to help them with their investigation into the incident.

Four men were later arrested after the discover and they are now being held at garda stations in Co. Longford.

Last week a similar incident was dealt with when a pipe bomb was made safe in Leitrim without a controlled explosion.

- With reporting from Rónán Duffy

Read: ‘Serious injury’ avoided after pipe bomb is found in Leitrim