Updated 7.45pm
A PIPE BOMB landed close to a sleeping woman after it was thrown through the bedroom window of a house in Strabane, County Tyrone on Sunday night.
The device was swiftly removed by another occupant of the house and thrown into a nearby hedge.
While the woman in her 60s was uninjured, police in Northern Ireland are appealing for information about the incident.
The viable device was thrown through the window of the property at Melmount Villas at about 8.50pm yesterday.
The device was made safe by army bomb experts and recovered by police for further examination.
Chief Inspector Alan Hutton said the incident is being treated as attempted murder.
“There can be no justification whatsoever for a bomb being thrown through anyone’s window, let alone a vulnerable lady’s house. This is stooping to new low and I feel for the lady today, when she thinks through what could have happened. Thankfully, it didn’t explode, or we could have been looking at something very different today,” he said.
He added:
I will fairly and squarely point the finger at violent dissident republicans and I know there are people of all shades who will condemn this act.
This was a reckless attack on the local community which could have caused serious harm. Those who threw this device have clearly no regard for the people living here. This is a very small minority of people in Northern Ireland who have carried out this attack and I am appealing for the community’s support in identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
He appealed to anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area to contact detectives at Strand Road Criminal Investigation Branch, by calling 101 and quoting reference 1314 07/08/17 or, if they wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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