Homes evacuated in Lurgan as police carry out controlled explosion on device, which man was forced to carry in ‘terrifying ordeal’
Gunmen hijacked a car, placed a device inside and forced the occupant to drive the vehicle to a police station in Northern Ireland on Monday, prompting a security alert and the evacuation of about 100 homes.
Some streets in Lurgan, County Armagh, remained shut on Tuesday morning as police investigated the scene.
The hijackers stopped a white Audi in the Kilwilkie estate at about 10.30pm and ordered the occupant, a fast food delivery driver, to drive the vehicle to a police station at Church Road a mile away, where he parked and raised the alarm.
Authorities evacuated dozens of nearby homes and opened Lurgan town hall to accommodate displaced residents. Police carried out a controlled explosion on the suspect device. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but suspicion fell on dissident republicans.
