PSNI (Police) go on alert as Real IRA vow new terror wave

Police in Northern Ireland are being urged to be "on their guard" after the Real IRA announced it was preparing to launch a new offensive in the province.

The paramilitary group said the PSNI would be prime targets in its new campaign as well as UK soldiers and ministers.

It also warned that businesses could be targeted saying incendiary devices were highly effective in causing "millions of pounds worth of damage".

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last night, a spokesman from the Police Federation said: "We are very aware of this new and very serious threat from dissident republicans and urge all police officers to be on their guard," he said.

"There have already been two attempts on officers' lives which have left them injured."

The Federation's warning comes after the paramilitary group broke its silence to a Sunday newspaper.

Two representatives of the group told the Sunday Tribune it was planning a new campaign after major internal reorganisation which included dismissing some members because they "weren't up to scratch".

They warned of attacks on police and alluded to more firebomb attacks on businesses similar to the one carried out at the Shane Retail Park in 2006.

Fifty people lost their jobs at the Homebase store after devices were planted there overnight.

"With more attacks on the RUC/PSNI we believe we can reach the stage where British soldiers are brought back onto the streets to bolster the cops," the dissidents told the Sunday Tribune.

"This will shatter the facade that the British presence has gone and normality reigns. People will once again be made visibly aware that we remain occupied."

While it views members of the Stormont executive, including Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, as "British ministers" and hence "legitimate targets", it said it was unlikely to attack them, but that its decisions on targeting would be "kept under review". 4th February 2008 News Letter