Dunmurry Police Station Bombing: West Belfast Man Joe Morgan Recalls Saturday Explosion
A father of two living 110 yards from Dunmurry police station, Joe Morgan, recounted the moment a bomb detonated on Saturday night. Morgan was preparing for bed when he heard a substantial bang, initially believing it to be a vehicle crash.
Police Evacuate Residents After Attack
Upon confirmation from neighbours that an explosion had occurred, Morgan prioritised the safety of his two and four-year-old children. The attack began shortly after 22:50 BST on Saturday when a delivery driver's car was hijacked in Twinbrook, west Belfast. The vehicle was subsequently fitted with a gas cylinder device, and the driver was forced to transport it to Dunmurry police station. The driver abandoned the vehicle, which then exploded as PSNI officers were evacuating several residents, including two infants.
Morgan and his children were among those advised to evacuate their home, forcing him to wake his sleeping children to take them to a relative's house for the night. He expressed gratitude that his pregnant wife was not at home during the incident.
Police Federation Denounces 'Reckless Act'
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is treating the bombing as attempted murder, suspecting the New IRA, a dissident republican faction, of responsibility. The Police Federation for Northern Ireland, representing rank-and-file officers, condemned the act. Liam Kelly, the Federation's chair, labelled it a “reckless act by desperate no-hopers,” stating, “All it does is show that there are still people who want to murder my colleagues and deliver pain and suffering in our communities.”
Dissident republican groups, distinct from the Provisional IRA, reject the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. These factions, including the New IRA and Continuity IRA, remain active, possessing high-calibre weapons and utilising improvised explosive devices in their campaigns.