Canberra bomb; police shoot

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32798, 24 December 1971, Page 1

Canberra bomb; police shoot

CN.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

CANBERRA, December 23.

Australian Federal police said today that they were searching for a naan who they believed might have been injured by a police bullet during an attempted bombing raid on the official Canberra home of the Australian Prime Minister (Mr William McMahon) early this morning.

The official police statement said that Mr

McMahon and his wife were not at the house, at the time of the attack. Mr McMahoq had flown to Sydney late last night and was at his harbourside home in Bellevue Hili. The police statement said

that an intruder was seen in the grounds of the Prime Minister’s residence about 2 aan. today. Police unsuccessfully called on the man to stop. A shot believed to have come from, a small calibre firearm was then fired from outside the grounds. A policeman then fired two shots from his service pistol as the intruder was leaving the grounds. The statement said that tte intruder may have been hit by at least one of the police bullets and he could well seek medical attention. The two people apparently escaped in a waiting car. The grounds were searched and a beer bottle containing petrol and a charred rag wick was found in a doorway. The wick had been lit but had gone out There were two previous incidents involving homemade incendiary devices at the residence in recent months. On both occasions the bomb was thrown into the grounds.