Man injured in South Armagh explosion

A man has been injured in an explosion in South Armagh.

The explosion happened at the man’s family home outside Crossmaglen when, according to reports, he tried to remove a poster from a pole outside his house.

Describing it as an attempted murder, Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said the incident was ‘an attack on the peace process’.

It is believed the poster alleged several people were ‘informers’. The poster in question, Murphy explained, was “attacking members of the local community, which was erected by an organised criminal gang in the area.”

Reports suggest that the injured man has been transferred from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to a Belfast Hospital, where there are fears, according to the Sinn Fein representative, that he may lose an eye.

Speaking to Newry Times, the Newry and Armagh MP said, “Over recent months criminal gangs masquerading as republicans have threatened the family of the young man injured.”

Murphy said police recently visited the family and told them there was a threat from a group. “Now these people have attempted to kill a member of the family with a device placed close to their home,” he continued. “In recent months death threats have also been made against a number of Sinn Féin activists, including myself.

Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said the incident was ‘an attack on the peace process’

“There have been a series of posters put up in the area alleging different people were informers attacking various people in the community – they were systematically removed by neighbours in the area and that’s what leads me to believe it was attempted murder,” he insisted.

“Let me be absolutely clear; this was the work of a gang of criminals and I unreservedly condemn this latest cowardly action. These thugs are opposed to the peace process and opposed to policing because of their involvement in organised crime.

“My party colleagues Megan Fearon, Gerry Kelly and I recently met with the Assistant Chief Constable to discuss the ongoing threats to the local community and I have demanded the PSNI take action against them.

Murphy added, “The threats have now escalated to what is clearly an attempt to murder people in the community opposed to their criminal activities. It’s well past time for the PSNI to act before someone is killed.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Feb 25 2015. Filed under Community, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry