Children find unexploded bomb

A group of children picked up an unexploded pipe bomb just minutes after another device blew up outside a nearby police station in Northern Ireland.

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Children 'caught up in reckless attack' on Belfast police

Chief Superintendent George Clarke said the children that picked up an unexploded pipe bomb in Belfast had been caught up in a reckless attack aimed at killing or maiming his officers.

The local police commander said the unexploded devices are "extremely volatile, very, very dangerous, utterly lethal and could function at any time".

Dissident republicans haven't moved forward and realised the way to advance any argument is political. No one has come forward to claim this [attack].

I cannot see the logic of throwing bombs at the back of a police station and then leaving an unexploded one for children to pick up.

– PSNI Chief Superintendent George Clarke

Belfast councillor: 'Terrorism does not discriminate'

A Democratic Unionist councillor said "terrorism does not discriminate" after a group of young children picked up an unexploded pipe bomb thrown at a police station in Belfast.

Brian Kingston, who met families living close to the Woodbourne station in west Belfast, wrote on Twitter:

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Children pick up unexploded pipe bomb in Belfast

A group of young children handed in an unexploded pipe bomb minutes after another device exploded outside a nearby police station in west Belfast.

The children, some as young as nine years old, handed the bomb in to officers involved in a security operation after the devices were thrown at Woodbourne station on the Stewartstown Road.

Two devices were thrown at the Woodbourne station on the Stewartstown Road. Credit: Google Maps

No one was injured in the attack, but police said the children, who were out playing at the time, were lucky.

Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland have been blamed for the attack.

Bomb attack on Belfast police station

Two bombs have been thrown at a police station in Northern Ireland.

One device exploded outside Woodbourne PSNI station in west Belfast just after 10.30pm last night. The other failed to detonate and the area was cordoned off.

Army bomb experts were called to the scene, which remains sealed off this morning.

A police spokesman said there were no reports of any injuries or damage.

Democratic Unionist councillor Brian Kingston claimed eyewitnesses reported that a group of primary school age children had hold of one of the bombs, but escaped unharmed.

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