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Two arrested over Omagh bomb
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Detectives investigating the 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland that killed 29 people and wounded more than 300 have detained a man and woman. The two were taken into custody in the Jonesborough area of South Armagh, Northern Ireland, early Tuesday morning, according to County Armagh police. Police said the two would be questioned about a series of terrorist offenses, including the Omagh bombing. No charges have been filed. The bombing, carried out by the Real IRA in a shopping area of Omagh, County Tyrone, in August 1998 was the worst single incident in more than 30 years of Northern Ireland violence. A telephoned bomb threat gave police the wrong location for the bomb, and they began evacuating shoppers into the area where the bomb went off. The Real IRA, which has continued to advocate the use of violence, broke away from the Irish Republican Army during peace talks. About 200 police officers and soldiers as well as helicopters participated in Tuesday's arrest operation which involved sealing off part of the Jonesborough area. However, police said it was not unusual to use large numbers of officers and military in this area when trying to make an arrest. "It's a border area -- an area which has to be treated with great caution. If a person is familiar with the terrain, it's a place that is easy to 'get lost' in," said a police spokesman. Police said they would make no further statements until those arrested are charged or released. Colm Murphy, a father of four, was convicted in 2002 plotting the Omagh bombing and sentenced to 14 years in jail. No others have been charged in connection with the Omagh bombing. The leader of the banned Real IRA, Michael McKevitt, was convicted last month and sentenced to 20 years in jail for directing terrorism, a law that was written after the Omagh bombing. Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims have filed a $15.7 million civil action against McKevitt and four other men they blame for the attack.
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