Thirteen civil rights demonstrators were killed by members of the British army’s Parachute Regiment in the Bogside area of Derry on 30 January 1972.
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The suspect is being detained at a Belfast police station, where he will be interviewed.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Harrison, who is leading the investigation, said today’s arrest “marked a new phase in the overall investigation which would continue for a few time”. Another victim of the shootings died in hospital four months later.
Prime Minister David Cameron apologized in 2010 on behalf of the state for the deaths of the protesters.
In the ensuing investigation, the British Army maintained its troops had responded reasonably after coming under fire but the incident was quickly labelled a massacre and provoked global outrage.
Bloody Sunday was one of the darkest days of Northern Ireland’s 30-year sectarian conflict, known as The Troubles, which largely ended with a 1998 peace deal.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further on an ongoing criminal investigation at this stage”, the ministry said in a statement.
An initial government report into “Bloody Sunday” blamed the victims, concluding they were armed and that security forces fired in self-defense.
Detectives from Legacy Investigation Branch investigating the events of Bloody Sunday have arrested a 66 yo man in Co Antrim this morning. More than one soldier opened fire on the protesters, according to eyewitness reports and video footage available.
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It’s nearly three years since the PSNI announced there would be a murder inquiry into the Bloody Sunday shootings.
