Two arrested over Omagh attack

By DAVID MCKITTRICK

Two people were yesterday arrested in south Armagh by detectives investigating the Omagh attack in which a Real IRA bomb killed 29 people in August 1998.

The pair, a man and a woman, were arrested in the border area of Jonesborough in a large-scale operation which involved 200 police and troops. The security forces continue to operate warily in the strongly republican district.

Yesterday's arrests are said to be primarily concerned with the movements of one of the cars used by the bomb team who transported the device from a border area to the centre of the Co Tyrone town.

Although the Omagh bombing took place five years ago, the government and the security forces insist that they still hope to bring charges in relation to the incident, which is regarded as one of the worst in the troubles.

A number of individuals suspected of involvement in the attack are behind bars on other charges, while the Real IRA's leader at the time, Michael McKevitt, was last month jailed for 20 years in Dublin for directing terrorism.

Two men arrested recently in the Republic are thought to have been involved in Omagh, though it seems unlikely they will face charges in connection with it. Another man was previously jailed for conspiring to cause an explosion in August 1998, the date of the Omagh bombing.

But no one has been directly convicted of the Omagh murders, although over the years there have been scores of arrests of suspects.

Police on both sides of the border say the investigation remains alive, Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy recently declaring: "The investigation is very active with the largest team of detectives working on any single case. They are working with all their energy towards a criminal prosecution."

Stanley McCombe, whose wife Anne died in the bombing, said the authorities in Dublin and Belfast had been under intense pressure from the families.

He said: "Obviously this is something significant, otherwise we would not have had an operation of this enormity. I'm very glad it has happened."

Omagh relatives yesterday met Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell to press him to allow Garda witnesses to testify in a civil action they are bringing against five republicans.

Several weeks ago Mr Murphy announced that the government would provide euros 800,000 needed to help the families bring the cases to court. The families themselves had raised almost the same amount.

- INDEPENDENT