Five Belfast Bombs In 48 Hours

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32265, 7 April 1970, Page 15

Five Belfast Bombs In 48 Hours

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) BELFAST (Northern Ireland), April 6. Crowds gathered in the Protestant Shankill Road area of Belfast early today after a bomb blast rocked the city for the fifth time in 48 hours.

This final terrorist attack of an explosive week-end seriously damaged an electrical goods shop in Crumlin Road, which separates the Protestant and Roman Catholic areas of Belfast.

British Army reinforcements were rushed to the scene of the explosion and two members of the onlooking crowd were arrested for unruly behaviour. Early today, however, it was a new threat by the outlawed Irish Republican Army (1.R.A.) that was causing most concern to British Army heads.

The 1.R.A., outlawed by both churches and Governments in Ireland, threatened this week-end to kidnap British troops as hostages and

to shoot a soldier every time a civilian was killed by the British in Northern Ireland. An Army spokesman said here last night: “We are taking the threat seriously and are taking all necessary precautions.” Soldiers have been told not to go out on the streets of Belfast alone and to stay awav from isolated areas. The I.R.A. threat was answered in London last night by the British Defence Minister (Mr Denis Healey) who promised to send more troops to Belfast if the wave of attacks continued. Mr Healey said in a television interview: “There is deliberate terrorism by conspirators in Ulster.” The latest disturbances might be an attempt to wreck the successful progress by the Northern Ireland Government towards civil equality for Ronian Catholics and Protestants, he said

Significantly, the I.R.A. threats came on the same day on which the Ulster constabulary known as the “B” Specials was finally disbanded. For since the foundation of tht pro-British State of Northern Ireland the task of containing the outlawed Republican Army in the north has been that of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (R.U.C.) and the now defunct “B” Specials. British troops occupied only a supporting role. Now, however, the I.R.A. in Northern Ireland is entirely their responsibility. And early today all the signs indicated the British Army commanders were taking the I.R.A. threat extremely seriously. The Army knows that memories die hard in Ireland. The bloodshed caused by British intervention more than 50 years ago is still engraved on the hearts of the I.R.A.