Irish police intercept car with bomb close to Northern Ireland border

Police in Ireland have stopped a vehicle close to the border with Northern Ireland which is believed to have had a bomb inside. 

Police said detectives requested the assistance of the army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team after they stopped the vehicle on Wednesday.

On Friday, police said the EOD team had completed an examination of the vehicle but would not release the outcome “for operational reasons”. 

Irish broadcaster RTE reported that the examination confirmed the car contained a bomb that officers believe was being driven across the border for an attack in Northern Ireland.

The driver of the vehicle, a woman in her 20s, was arrested and continues to be detained.

A man in his 40s has also been arrested in connection with the investigation.

The vehicle was stopped close to the County Monaghan town of Carrickmacross, which is about 10 kilometres from the open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Sporadic attacks by militant groups, often attempted car bombings, continue in Northern Ireland almost three decades since a peace deal largely ended sectarian violence in the British-run region.