Children escape injury after pipe bomb explosion
Last updated 17th Feb 2019
Children inside a house in Craigavon have narrowly escaped injury after a pipe bomb exploded outside their house.
Residents in the area heard a loud bang at the house in the Enniskeen area at around 11.20pm on Saturday night.
When police arrived at the scene, they also discovered a second bomb - sparking a security alert in the area which forced many residents from their homes overnight.
A woman and a number of young children were in the house at the time of the explosion, thankfully no-one was injured.
No damage was caused to the property.
Police are appealing to anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
Detective Sergeant Foley said: "Police attended and ATO were tasked to the scene when it was established that a device had detonated outside the house.
"A female and a number of young children in the house at the time were not injured, and no damage was caused to the property.
"When ATO were on scene, a second pipe-bomb device was discovered. Both devices have been declared as viable.
“The remnants of the device that exploded and the second device have been seized by police and taken away for further forensic examination.
"Residents who were evacuated as part of a public safety operation during the alert have now been allowed to return to their homes.
"I want to thank all those who were affected by the alert for their patience as we worked to make the scene safe. I appreciate the disruption this caused to residents who had to leave their homes, however, keeping people safe is our priority and we will not take any chances.
"This was a reckless attack by those responsible, and we are extremely fortunate that we are not dealing with any serious injuries, or worse today.
"Anyone could have picked up these potentially deadly devices, and those behind the attack have clearly no regard for the safety of the others."