Police discover stash of explosive devices linked to far right in Belfast

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has arrested a suspect following the discovery of an arsenal of explosive devices in the Shankill Road area of Belfast. According to the Guardian, police uncovered a stash of 17 improvised explosive devices and other material during searches on October 30 and October 31. The Police Service of Northern Ireland stated on Wednesday that the ongoing investigation is linked to extreme right-wing terrorism. [1]

The Guardian and the Belfast Telegraph both report that the discovery represents the largest haul of weaponry linked to the far right ever seized in Northern Ireland. Police officers declined to provide additional details on the investigation at this time. [1][3]

Improvised explosive device disposal and public safety bomb disposal refer to specialized explosives engineering professions used to render hazardous explosive devices safe. Belfast itself takes its name from an anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic Béal Feirste, which refers to a sandbank ford at the mouth of a river. [5][8]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, counter-terrorism operations involving explosive devices have occurred recently in other regions. In October, two men faced charges in Dundalk District Court under the Explosive Substances Act following a Garda counter-terrorism operation in County Louth. [10]