UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH ARMY REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER IRA BREAKS CEASEFIRE

Record ID: 337716

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BRITISH ARMY REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE IN NORTHERN IRELAND AFTER IRA BREAKS CEASEFIRE
  • Date: 15th February 1996
  • Summary: RAF ALDERGROVE AIRBASE, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK (FEBRUARY 15, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV BRITISH ROYAL AIR FORCE HERCULES TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT TAXIING ON RUNWAY (3 SHOTS) 0.45 2. SV REPORTERS 0.49 3. SCU ENTRANCE SIGNS TO ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRBASE ALDERGROVE 0.54 4. SV BRITISH TROOPS LEAVING AIRCRAFT VIA REAR DOOR AND WALKING TO WAITING BUS (2 SHOTS) 1.11 5. SCU BRITISH TROOPS LEAVING REAR DOOR/BRITISH ARMY SOLDIERS SITTING ON BUS, SEEN THROUGH WINDOWS (3 SHOTS) 1.45 6. SV HELICOPTER/HERCULES AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY (2 SHOTS) 1.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st March 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAF ALDERGROVE AIRBASE, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA65DM8CXDX82KUA7TI7SJWSWBU
  • Story Text: Britain army reinforcements arrived in Northern Ireland on Thursday (February 15) to help guard against guerrilla attacks after the Irish Republican Army (IRA) broke its 17-month truce with a lethal truck bomb attack in London last week.

    Five hundred Irish Regiment soldiers were flown into RAF Aldergrove, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of Belfast.

    Security sources said the troops, bringing the total British garrison in the province to 17,000, were being brought in as a precaution.

    Britain was concerned that the IRA would resume hostilities in the province and trigger a backlash by pro-British Loyalist guerrillas who have continued to honour their truce.

    The troops will be sent mainly to areas that border the Irish Republic, such as South Armagh which was dubbed "bandit country" because of ambushes on security forces during 25 years of guerrilla activity that ended with the ceasefire in 1994.

    Security forces in Northern Ireland have been in a high state of alert since the IRA set off the explosion in the British capital's Docklands office and residential district, but they have not come under attack.

    Security was relaxed after the various guerrilla factions stopped warring.But troops, who had returned to barracks, were again patrolling in border districts and police have donned protective flak jackets again and gone back to carrying heavy calibre weapons.

    During the relaxation, around 1,500 British troops had been transferred from Northern Ireland back to mainland Britain.

    The British troops reinforcement was criticised by Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA.A spokesman said: "It is a retrograde step which smacks of the old agenda." As the troops arrived at a military airbase, Irish and British officials were resuming fresh efforts to keep peace hopes alive.

    They were due to meet in London to hammer out a joint strategy in preparation for a summit by prime ministers John Major of Britain and John Bruton of Ireland in London.

    In the wake of the IRA resumption of violence, the governments refuse to hold ministerial talks with Sinn Fein but on Friday Dublin officials will reopen face to face contact with the guerrillas' political arm.


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