Northern Ireland police swoop on house in Newry nets man they believe was behind bomb blast that killed 29 people in 1998

Henry McDonald
The Guardian
11 November 2014

**See also: Arrests in Ardcarne Park, Newry, 'linked to Continuity IRA'



Police officers and firefighters inspect the damage caused by the bomb explosion in Omagh, Northern Ireland, in 1998. (Photograph: Paul Mcerlane/PA)

One of the chief suspects in the Real IRA bombing in Omagh has been arrested in a major security operation against republican dissidents.

The veteran republican was detained along with 11 others in the Newry area, close to the border with the Irish Republic.

The men, aged between 36 and 75, were arrested at a house in the Ardcane Park in Newry on Monday evening.

All 12, including the man police believe made the bomb that devastated Omagh in 1998, killing 29 people, are being questioned at the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s serious crime suite in Antrim.

It is understood that all 12 detainees were attending a republican meeting when the PSNI swooped on the house on Monday night.

Det Supt Kevin Geddes from the PSNI’s serious crime branch said: “Police are determined to investigate those individuals suspected of involvement in serious crime. This investigation is an example of our commitment to keep everyone in the community safe.”