Northern Ireland 'will not accept being dragged backwards' after car bomb, says first minister

Michelle O'Neill has said Northern Ireland "will not accept being dragged backwards" after a car bomb exploded next to a police station just outside Belfast on Saturday night.

The country's first minister and her deputy stood alongside police chiefs to strongly condemn the attack, which saw an explosive device placed in the boot of a delivery driver's vehicle.

The man was then ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station, southwest of Belfast city centre.

Officers found the car abandoned and managed to evacuate residents of nearby homes, including two babies, before the device exploded.

Speaking at Stormont on Monday morning, Ms O'Neill said: "I think it's with real relief that we're standing here today and no one was seriously killed or injured. But that does not take away for a second from the seriousness of what occurred on Saturday evening.

"To all those that are responsible for what happened on Saturday evening, I say get off the backs of communities.

"We will not accept being dragged backwards. Those responsible for this selfish act have nothing to offer our society."

Emma Little-Pengelly, deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, added that she was "absolutely appalled" by the attack.

"It is vitally important that we send a very clear message this morning that we stand shoulder to shoulder and clear and unequivocal condemnation of this attack," she said, saying the perpetrators "want to drag us back to the past".

"We do have a clear message to those that are behind these attacks: Go away, you are not wanted," Ms Little-Pengelly continued.

"This type of violence, this type of terrorism, has absolutely no part to play in the Northern Ireland of today or the Northern Ireland of tomorrow."

An attempted murder investigation led by Northern Ireland's Terrorism Investigation Unit is under way.

Read more:
Lightning strikes kill 14 in Bangladesh
Man arrested over fire at LGBT+ nightclub

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has called for anyone with information on the "mindless thugs" behind the incident to come forward.

"I will appeal [to] anybody with any information about the people responsible to please, please, please contact us before these people actually harm or kill somebody," he said.

The attack comes just weeks after a delivery driver was forced at gunpoint to take an explosive device to a police station in County Armagh.

(c) Sky News 2026: Northern Ireland 'will not accept being dragged backwards' after car bomb, says first minister