A prison officer has been taken to hospital in Belfast after an explosive device detonated under a vehicle, police say.
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Police investigating the attempted murder of a prison officer in Northern Ireland have warned that dissident republicans are intent on killing security force members to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising in Dublin.
Detectives are examining whether the bomb dislodged from the vehicle as it was going over a speed bump, thus lessening the impact of the blast.
The device exploded close to the entrance of Euston Street primary school, whose Woodstock Road entrance has been closed as forensic officers search the area.
Two people have been taken to hospital after the explosion in the Woodstock Road area at 7.10am.
Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster condemned the incident as a “disgraceful and despicable attack in east Belfast”. His injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.
UTV reporter Barbara McCann, who was at the scene, said: “I understand that parts of the vehicle were blown across the road and I can see from where I’m standing what looks like a large bumper from the vehicle”.
The extent of the man’s injuries is not known.
“They have operated in east Belfast before and in places like Bangor and Cookstown, all around Northern Ireland”, Mr Martin said. “As a prison officer, he is someone who serves and protects our community and we are united in our rejection of this attack”.
“The bomb attack this morning is an attempt to drag us back to the past”.
Police have appealed for anyone who saw suspicious activity in Hillsborough Drive or the surrounding area to contact them on 101.
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A 1998 peace deal largely ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland between Protestants who want to remain British and Catholics favouring unification with Ireland, but pockets of division and sporadic violence remain.
