ARMY BOMB DISPOSAL teams were called to three separate locations in Leinster last night to deal with explosive devices and bomb-making components.

The items were made safe by units in Mountrath, Co Laois, and Tallaght and Ballymun in Co Dublin.

A bomb squad was dispatched to the M7 motorway near Mountrath at 10.45pm after a viable improvised explosive device (IED) and firearms were recovered during a garda-led operation.

The team made the device safe without the need for a controlled explosion before leaving the scene shortly after 1am.

Another unit was called to deal with suspect items found during a garda search of a private residence in the Killinarden area of Tallaght.

The bomb disposal team arrived at the location at 9.00pm and found the items to be IED-making components.

The area was declared safe at 10.30pm.

Investigations

Another suspect device was found outside a private residence in the Shangan area of Ballymun in the early hours of this morning.

The bomb squad arrived on the scene at 1.50am, at the request of gardaí, and assessed that the device was viable.

The item was dismantled before the scene was declared safe at 3.30am.

The Defence Forces said evidential items recovered in the three incidents have been handed over to gardaí to assist with their investigations.

Army bomb disposal teams responded to 145 callouts last year, making safe 25 viable devices.

Before last night, there had been 10 callouts so far this year, leading to one viable item being made safe.

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