Victim operated pressure plate discovered in Ballyarnett Village in October 2014.
DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit probing violent dissident republican activity in Derry have made a fresh arrest.
Police say a 22-year-old man was detained in the Creggan area of the city this morning (Thursday, 14th September).
He was held under section 41 of the Terrorism Act.
The arrest is in connection with the attempted murder of police in Ballyarnett Village in October 2014.
The man has been taken to the Serious Crime Suite at Musgrave police station where he is assisting police with their enquiries.
Earlier this month, police revealed that they were linking the murder bid on police in Ballyarnet in 2014 to the attempted murder of an off duty police officer in Derry on February 22 this year with an undercar booby trap bomb device.
A viable Under Vehicle Improvised Explosive Device (UVIED) was discovered at the home of the officer in the Ardanlee area.
Detective Superintendent John McVea said: “We are now able to link the device used in this attack with a previous incident in Ballyarnett Village on October 13, 2014 when unsubstantiated reports of a burglary and subsequent bomb warning calls led us to conclude at that time that the sequence of events was a deliberate attempt to lure police officers into the area to try and murder them.
“We believe the New IRA is responsible for both attacks.
“I can also confirm that the same type of pressure plate device was used on both occasions.
“These types of devices are designed to murder and seriously injure people.
“If this UVIED had exploded with our colleague and his young family in the car earlier this year it would have had devastating consequences. I am thankful this was not the case.
“However, I must emphasise that the violent dissident republicans who carried out this attack did indeed intend to kill him and didn’t care that his children or partner could also have been in the vehicle with him at the time.
“I am also relieved that this small group of people, who have nothing to offer the communities they profess to be a part of, were unsuccessful when they tried to lure police into Ballyarnett Village three years ago.”
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