Bomb-making cache found buried in Northern Ireland country park

Police in Northern Ireland on Sunday announced the discovery of a large cache of bomb-making parts and explosives, raising fears of an attack in the province.

The bomb-making materials, explosives and partially-constructed devices were found buried in plastic barrels in a Carnfunnock Country Park in a predominantly unionist area near Larne, 50km north of Belfast.

“It is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry,” said Police Service of Northern Ireland detective chief inspector Gillian Kearney.

“I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe.”

In a separate incident on Sunday, a suspicious object was found in a residential area of Derry, leading to the evacuation of several houses, a day after two explosive devices were also found and defused in west Belfast.

In another incident on Friday, a prison guard was injured by an explosive device placed under his van in an attack attributed to dissident republicans.