Four men arrested with mortar launcher

Four men have been arrested by Irish Police after they were caught transporting a mortar launcher across the border.

Three of the men were travelling in a car which contained a mortar and an explosive device when they were

stopped and arrested by Irish police in County Louth. It is believed they were transporting the mortar across the border to attack a police station. Another man was arrested nearby and more explosives discovered. The men are believed to be members of a small breakaway IRA group called Óglaigh na hÉireann (Soldiers of Ireland) which has been responsible for a number of bomb attacks this year.

The Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and former IRA Commander, Martin McGuinness, called on the dissident splinter groups to desist.

The mainstream Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) has been on permanent ceasefire since 2005 while the second largest republican group, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) was stood down in 2009. Three small splinter groups continue to carry out attacks, these are the Real IRA, Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann.