The PSNI has confirmed that there was no police patrol in the area at the time of the first report. 

Police believe the initial “loud bang” may have been an “attempt to lure police officers to the area”.

Following reports of the incident, officers responded and a suspicious object was located.

A full security clearance operation was implemented. The PSNI has confirmed the security alert has ended. 

Those evacuated are now allowed to return to their homes. 

“I cannot condemn strongly enough those behind this cowardly and despicable act of terrorism,” O’Connor added.

“They offer nothing to this community and their actions here do not reflect the wishes of the vast majority of the law-abiding residents of this area,” he said.

Huge disruption has been caused to the lives of those residents who live nearby with people being evacuated from their homes in the middle of the night and roads and streets subject to closure while we carried out this necessary security and search operation.

Attacks on police and other security services are attacks on the entire community and they are an attack on our democracy. Anyone willing to launch such an attack in a residential area cares little about our communities. Their reckless violence cannot be allowed to continue.  

“There are people within our communities who know who did this. There are also people out there who know those who are members of terrorist groups,” O’Connor said.

“My plea to all of those people is to tell us what they know and by doing so they will help to prevent this small minority dragging us back to the past.”