TWO MEN HAVE been arrested under the Terrorism Act in connection with a security alert in Belfast that caused Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to be evacuated to safety.

It’s part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged hijacking of a van ahead of the security alert on the morning of Friday March 25. 

One man (40) was arrested and charged with preparation of terrorist acts, hijacking and placing a hoax bomb in the days following the incident in North Belfast.

The PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) announced in a statement this afternoon that two other men have now been arrested and are being questioned on the incident.

A 46-year-old man was arrested in the Shankill area of Belfast. Two suspected firearms were recovered and a vehicle was taken away for inspection.

A 51-year-old man was also arrested in the Ballymena area in Co Antrim, with a van seized for examination. 

The PSNI said that both men are currently being questioned at Musgrave Police Station in Belfast. 

They were arrested by detectives working in the Terrorism Investigations Unit.

On the day, Coveney had been giving a talk at the Hume Foundation in North Belfast when he had to abruptly end his speech.

“I’m sorry. I have to leave. I hope to be back shortly,” he told the crowd before being escorted away.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan later told reporters that two gunmen had allegedly hijacked a white Vauxhall van in the Shankill area of the city that morning. 

The driver was allegedly threatened by the gunmen and forced to drive his van a short distance to another street, where the device was then placed in the van. He was then forced to drive the van to Holy Cross Church in Belfast.