New IRA Believed Responsible for Car Bomb Attack Outside Belfast Police Station with Two Babies Evacuated

Summary

On April 26, 2026, a car bomb detonated outside a Dunmurry police station near Belfast, Northern Ireland, with police attributing the attack to the New IRA. Two babies were evacuated before the explosion.

At around 10:50 PM local time on April 26, 2026, a car bomb exploded outside a police station in Dunmurry, southwest Belfast. The explosive was a gas cylinder-type device placed in a delivery driver's hijacked vehicle. Police and fire crews responded promptly, evacuating residents including two babies prior to detonation, and extinguishing the fire afterwards. The Police Service of Northern Ireland's terrorism unit is investigating the incident as attempted murder. Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton identified the New IRA as the likely perpetrators, citing similarities to a recent failed bombing attempt in Lurgan which was claimed by the group. The New IRA, a dissident republican paramilitary organization opposing the 1998 peace deal and British presence in Northern Ireland, has a history of violent attacks including the 2019 murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Political leaders across Northern Ireland condemned the attack; Sinn Fein's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson called for peace and law enforcement response. The incident underscores the persistent threat and capability of paramilitary groups in the region.

Evidence

'There are very many similarities between the two incidents and... our early working hypothesis is that this may well be the work of the New IRA,' - Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton.
'Police personnel immediately... evacuated nearby homes in order to protect the community,' - Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton.
'I utterly condemn last night's attack on Dunmurry police station,' - Sir Keir Starmer.
'Those behind last night's attack in Dunmurry speak for absolutely no one. They have no vision, no support, and have nothing to offer our society,' - Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill.
'If this was another attempt by dissident republicans to intimidate communities and target the police, then it must be met with the full force of the law,' - Gavin Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party leader.

Classification

Confidence: High

The article explicitly reports a discrete terrorist attack involving the New IRA paramilitary group targeting a police station in Northern Ireland. Law enforcement and political leaders condemn it as an act of violent aggression, confirming aggressor activity.