Bomb explodes in Derry

A car bomb exploded in Derry city last night (4 October) in a commercial riverside district near the junction of the Strand Road and Culmore Road. There were no casualties, but substantial damage was caused to the Da Vinci’s hotel, a branch of Ulster Bank and a retail centre.
It is understood a warning was received an hour before the bomb exploded and the area had been cordoned off.

There has been no claim of responsibility so far, although a breakaway IRA group is understood to have carried out the attack,. The bombing comes during the annual conference in Birmingham of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party, their first while in power for 14 years.
Sinn Fein’s Derry-based Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is controversially scheduled to speak at a fringe event at the conference later today [Tuesday], the first time a member of the Sinn Fein leadership has attended a Tory conference.
The North’s First Minister Peter Robinson, the SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie and former Unionist Party Leader Reg Empey are also scheduled to attend.
Two months ago a 200lb car bomb exploded outside a police station half a mile away in the city’s Strand Road. Dissident republicans are thought to be behind both attacks. Police warned of massive traffic disruption in the city today because of a follow-up security operation.
Derry’s SDLP mayor, Colm Eastwood, who visited the scene, said he was disgusted by the attack: “I do not know what these people are hoping to achieve. They say they love their country but they spend their time trying to destroy it. The people of this city will be very angry. It is just shocking that someone would put a bomb anywhere, but especially at a commercial centre.”

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