Northern Ireland: arrests after rise in dissident republican violence

Three men have been arrested in south Armagh in connection with recent dissident republican terrorist activity in the region. Gardai in the Irish Republic have arrested a further two men in relation to the upsurge in dissident republican violence over the last few weeks. Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland police (PSNI) are continuing to question a man arrested yesterday over the murder of police constable Stephen Carroll last year. A PSNI superintendent in north Armagh accused republican dissidents of putting civilians' lives at risk after a bomb attack on a police station last night. A small explosive device went off outside Lurgan police station around 11.30pm. No one was injured in the blast. Superintendent Pauline Shields described the bomb attack as "reckless and cowardly". She added: "(It was) aimed not only at killing police officers but also endangering the lives of any members of the public who would have been around this busy area at this time."