County Down mortar attack: Police foil plot after launching tube found on farm in Northern Ireland

Police believe device was intended to be used in an attack against the security forces

Mortar-launching tube (PSNI)

A suspected dissident republican plot to attack police has been foiled after a mortar bomb-launching tube was found in County Down in Northern Ireland.

The horizontal tube attached to a frame and command wire were left beside a derelict farm building outside the town of Castlewellan earlier this week.

A member of the public discovered the items laying unconcealed behind a wall on the outside of the structure.

Police believe the weapon, which did not contain a live mortar round, belonged to dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Detective Superintendent John McVea said it was likely that the mortar tube was left by one dissident extremist for collection by another, with the discovery disrupting its transfer.

He said the weapon was not left in a position that suggested it was about to be used to launch a mortar at a passing car on the road.

“We are very pleased to have this item recovered – undoubtedly it was in the future intended to be used in an attack against the security forces,” he added.

Police believe the weapon may have been left at the building on the rural Drumnaquoile Road as recently as Sunday. The discovery prompted a major security operation in the area.

Police photo showing location of mortar tube and command wire (PA)

“There is a derelict farm building in the immediate vicinity. The device, the mortar tube, was left just by the wall,” DS McVea added. “It was not covered in any way.

“It was in very good condition and there were no signs it had been left to the elements for any length of time and certainly we are working on the theory that it was left there in very recent times.”

Police have appealed to anyone with information about the find to come forward.

Additional reporting by PA