A TEENAGER HAS been arrested under the Terrorism Act after four viable explosive devices were found during a planned search of an address in Omagh, Co Tyrone this morning. 

A security alert in the town has now ended, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

A 16-year-old remains in police custody.

Following the discovery of a suspicious device during a search at an address in the Gardenville Avenue area, cordons were put in place and a number of residents had to leave their homes while ammunition technical officers carried out an examination.

Three further suspicious devices were found as the search continued.

“At this stage, we believe that all four are viable explosive devices and they have since been removed from the property for forensic examination,” a PSNI spokesperson said.

The police force is urging the public not to speculate. 

“Detectives are working at pace. We would urge the public not to speculate – it’s important to stress that, while the suspect has been arrested under the Terrorism Act, our investigation to establish a motive remains very much ongoing,” the spokesperson said.

“We would ask anyone who may have information that could assist our investigation to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 281 24/08/256.”

“A report can be submitted online using the witness appeal form https://reporting.psni.police.uk/appeals  or you can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/“