N. IRELAND: CAR BOMB EXPLODES IN TOWN OF NEWTOWNHAMILTON (2)

(24 Jun 1998) English/Nat

A car bomb has exploded in the predominantly Catholic border town of Newtownhamilton, injuring two people.

The blast, southwest of Belfast, came as political candidates entered the last hours of campaigning for the new power-sharing assembly in the province.

Police received several telephoned warnings, including one reportedly from the outlawed Irish National Liberation Army - a Republican splinter group that opposes the Good Friday peace agreement.

Members of the largest unionist party, the Ulster Unionists, condemned the bombing, saying it only makes Thursday's vote a more powerful statement in favour of democracy.

The bomb went off in Newtownhamilton, a village southwest of
of Belfast in the South Armagh border area.

On Wednesday, it looked more like a war zone with debris from the blast strewn all over the town square.

Cars caught in the bomb's path were burnt-out shells, while roofs of local shops were torn up from the blast's force.

The blast occurred outside the main barracks which housed British soldiers and police and also caused substantial damage to homes nearby.

Four people suffered injuries which required hospitalisation, although none were life threatening.

The community centre where Thursday's polling was supposed to take place was damaged, causing officials to schedule balloting in another location.

Police said the bomb exploded as they were evacuating the area and as an army bomb-disposal unit was arriving.

Authorities had received several telephoned warnings, including one claiming to come from the outlawed Irish National Liberation Army.

The I-N-L-A is a Republican splinter group which remains opposed to a peaceful solution to the problems in Northern Ireland.

No confirmation of who is responsible has yet been made.

The blast followed another unclaimed bomb attack the day before on a road outside the South Armagh village of Forkhill which injured no one.

The explosions came as Northern Ireland prepares to selects its new cross-community assembly on Thursday.

Seamus Mallon, Deputy leader of the Social Democratic Labour Party (S-D-L-P) and the local Minister of Parliament, said the timing of the bombing on the eve of elections was no coincidence.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I'm absolutely horrified that a bomb was placed in the middle of the village of Newtownhamilton once again, that people's lives were put in danger, their business and homes wrecked. But I think there's an added significance - it was placed on the day before the most important election that we'll ever have in the north of Ireland and it was done to intimidate people in relation to the election tomorrow."
SUPER CAPTION: Seamus Mallon, Deputy leader of the SDLP and Minister of Parliament for Newry and Armagh

The town police station found itself overlooking a sea of twisted metal and destroyed storefronts.

One car's destroyed windshield was proof that it did not escape, nor did the 16-year-old boy who was riding inside at the time of the blast.

He was one of the four injured and remains hospitalised in a serious but stable condition with chest injuries.

The army barracks outside where the bomb went off stands imposingly over the town.

Down below, police and soldiers conducted road checks around the cordoned off area of the blast.

Helicopters flew overhead to monitor the situation.

A renewed feeling of fear and insecurity took over the town, where campaign posters tried to remind people of Thursday's election.


SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Ken Maginnis, Ulster Unionist Minister of Parliament


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