BLOOD has once again been shed by terrorists on the streets of Northern Ireland after gunmen, believed to be dissident republicans, opened fire at a barracks north-west of Belfast during a pizza delivery, killing two soldiers and injuring four others. It was the first such killing in 12 years. Police said two military personnel and two pizza delivery men were seriously wounded.
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The Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, condemned the attacks, warning: "A tiny group of evil people cannot and will not undermine the will of the people ? to live in peace together."
The First Minister and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Peter Robinson, said the gunmen would not be allowed to succeed, describing the killings as "a terrible reminder of the events of the past". The deaths occurred 36 hours after Northern Ireland's Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde, confirmed that surveillance operations by the Special Reconnaissance Regiment had been ordered on local dissident groups after growing intelligence warnings that the threat against the military was at its highest in more than a decade.
Analysts warn that if dissident republicans are responsible for the attack, it will mark a fresh phase in their campaign as it represents the first time they have succeeded in killing a member of the security forces despite several attempts to murder police and troops.
The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said in a statement: "In recent days action has been taken to increase security in Northern Ireland. This is because of the increased threat from those who, even at this late stage, wish to ignore the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the people of Northern Ireland and attempt to derail the peace process."
Gunmen with machine guns entered the barracks late Saturday as pizzas were delivered and fired up to 40 shots in two long bursts of gunfire, including shots at those already on the ground, reports said.
The attackers reportedly got past the base's checkpoint in a taxi, then opened fire when the soldiers tried to take delivery of the pizzas outside the 38 Engineer Regiment at Massereene barracks in Antrim, north-west of Belfast. At first some believed the noise was fireworks. Kylie McLaughlin, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "It was constant fire like a machine-gun. It was very scary. We were not sure what was happening. We just can't believe it has happened here."
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion will undoubtedly focus on the Real IRA, the breakaway republican group responsible for the Omagh car bombing in 1998 in which 29 people died.
Last year dissident republicans tried to kill police officers in separate incidents in Derry City and Dungannon, County Tyrone, and last month security forces defused a bomb in Castlewellan County Down, which might have been intended for an attack on a nearby barracks.
Ian Paisley jnr, a member of the Police Board and Democratic Unionist member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said: "For the past 10 years, people believed things like this happened in foreign countries, places like Basra. Unfortunately it has returned to our doorstep.
"There are people who have been intent on murdering police officers or soldiers, or someone else, to strike home and galvanise support for some mad cause ?"
