Forensic Science Laboratory bombing
| Forensic Science Laboratory bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Troubles | |
| Location | Newtownbreda, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Date | 23 September 1992 (UTC) |
| Target | Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory |
Attack type | Van bomb |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 20[1] |
| Perpetrator | Provisional Irish Republican Army South Armagh Brigade |
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) targeted the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory (NIFSL) facilities on Newtownbreda Road in the southern outskirts of Belfast with a large 3,000 lb bomb on 23 September 1992. The huge impact of the bomb destroyed the lab and damaged over 1,000 homes within a 1.5 mile radius, including adjacent Belvoir Park, a Protestant housing estate.[2][3] It was one of the biggest bombs ever detonated during Northern Ireland's Troubles, causing massive damage and being felt over 10 miles away.[4] Hundreds of residents had to be treated for shock. Several military vehicles were damaged.[5] The lab was a key target because it analysed evidence in cases involving IRA attacks.[6] The IRA had given a warning, and British Army bomb disposal experts were investigating an abandoned van when the explosion occurred. One estimate put the repair damage cost at £20 million at the time.[7]
According to journalist and author Toby Harnden, the attack was planned and carried out from beginning to end by the IRA South Armagh Brigade. Volunteers from the brigade hijacked a truck near Newry and packed it with explosives weighing 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg). They left the truck outside the Forensic Science Laboratory at 8:40pm. Nearly 45 minutes later, after a coded warning, the bomb exploded.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ CAIN - 1992 Chronology
- ^ John D., Taylor (1 February 1993). "Bomb Damage (Newtownbreda)". Hansard, HC Deb, 01 February 1993, Vol. 218, cc117-24. UK Government. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ^ "IRA blast damages over 1,000 homes". The Independent. 24 September 1992. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ^ Kearney, Vincent (19 September 2017). "'Biggest' IRA bomb targeted NI justice". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ Oppenheimer, A.R. (2009). IRA: The Bombs and The Bullets. A History of Deadly Ingenuity. Irish Academic Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-7165-2895-1.
- ^ Cowley, Martin (24 September 1992). "Bombing of forensic lab likely to disrupt courts". The Irish Times. The Irish Times.
- ^ "Damage in huge blast put at 20m pounds: A Belfast housing estate". The Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ Toby Harnden Bandit Country: The IRA & South Armagh pp.16
- 1992 in Northern Ireland
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- 1992 crimes in the United Kingdom
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- Provisional Irish Republican Army actions
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