LAST UPDATE | 26 Nov 2022

DETECTIVES IN NORTHERN Ireland have arrested a 58-year-old man as part of an investigation into the attempted murder of two police officers in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

A property was also searched.

The PSNI’s Terrorism Investigation Unit are probing a bomb attack on two officers, with investigators calling the incident an attempted murder.

The arrested man has been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning. He is the seventh man to be arrested in connection with the incident.

The attempted murder investigation is continuing and police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.

The two officers had been on patrol on 17 November at Mount Carmel Heights, when a bomb was detonated at the side of their vehicle.

Neither officer was injured in the attack, which caused a major security alert in the area, affecting more than 1,000 residents and leaving some children unable to get to school the following day.

The dissident republican group the New IRA claimed responsibility for the bomb attack.

The Irish News said the group had issued a statement saying it had carried out the attack using a recognised codeword.

Police had previously said the involvement of the New IRA was a “strong line of inquiry”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said last week that any attempt to injure or murder any PSNI officers stands to be condemned, calling it “absolutely shocking”.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar also condemned the attack, saying: “I think what it shows us, 100 years since the foundation of the State, 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, there are still people on this island that don’t accept democracy.

“We’ll be working very closely with the Northern Ireland authorities to find out who planted this bomb and bring them to justice.”

Additional reporting by PA