SINN FÉIN HAS said claims in the State Papers that its president Gerry Adams set up an IRA gang for ambush in Loughgall are “utter nonsense”.
The 30-year-old information was released by the National Archives this morning. RTÉ reports that in the papers was a claim that Adams set up the gang for ambush in 1987 as they tried to blow up the RUC station in Loughgall, Co Armagh.
When asked for a statement, a Sinn Féin spokesperson told TheJournal.ie:
“These claims are utter nonsense.”
RTÉ reports that a document in the State Papers says a Fr Denis Faul said there was a rumour that the IRA team were set by Adams.
The Loughgall ambush occurred on 8 May 1987, and involved an eight-man IRA unit. One of its members drove a digger – which had a bomb in its bucket – through the perimeter fence of the RUC barracks in the village.
The subsequent explosion destroyed a large part of the barracks.
SAS soldiers, who were in ambush positions, then returned fire and killed all the IRA members. The security forces had been aware of the IRA plan.
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