Northern Ireland prison officer dies after bomb attack

The Police Service of Northern Ireland identified the man as Adrian Ismay, 52

March 18, 2016 02:42 PM

By Bill Smith
dpa, Berlin

DUBLIN — A prison officer died in hospital in Northern Ireland on Tuesday, 11 days after he was injured when a bomb exploded under a van he was driving in Belfast, police said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland identified the man as Adrian Ismay, 52, saying he had served as a prison officer for more than 28 years, according to a statement.

“Our deepest sympathy is with Adrian’s family, friends and colleagues at this sad time,” said Detective Chief Inspector Richard Campbell.

“One man has been charged with attempted murder and causing an explosion with intent to endanger life, and the investigation is continuing,” Campbell said, adding that police were still “working to establish the exact cause of Adrian’s death.”

At least three other suspects were questioned over the explosion, which also injured a passenger in the van, according to earlier police reports.

Following the explosion, police warned that the territory faces a “severe threat” from “people within dissident republican groupings” in the run-up to this month’s 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

The BBC said it had received a statement claiming responsibility for the bomb attack from “a dissident republican group calling itself the IRA (Irish Republican Army).”

The 1916 Easter Rising began when Irish republicans rose against occupying British troops in Dublin. It led to self-government from 1921 and the recognition of southern Ireland as an independent republic in 1949, with the six counties of Northern Ireland remaining under British control.

Northern Ireland was riven by sectarian conflict for 38 years as Catholic nationalists sought a united Ireland and Protestant Unionists sought to remain in the United Kingdom.

The number of reported attacks declined after the so-called Troubles were brought to a close in 2007 through a peace process that led to power sharing in the territory.

The Provisional IRA officially ended its campaign of violence in 2005, but several small groups of dissident republicans still carry out attacks and claim to represent the IRA.