NORTHERN IRELAND: MASKED GUNMEN HIJACK TRAIN AND SET IT ABLAZE

Record ID: 377049

  • Title: NORTHERN IRELAND: MASKED GUNMEN HIJACK TRAIN AND SET IT ABLAZE
  • Date: 8th July 1997
  • Summary: NEWRY, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 8, 1997) 1. SLV NEWRY STATION 0.15 2. SLV DAMAGED TRAIN, FIREMEN INSPECTING DAMAGE 0.31 3. SV SMASHED GLASS INSIDE COMPARTMENT (5 SHOTS) 0.49 4. LV EXTERIOR TRAIN IN STATION 0.55 BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 8, 1997) 5. SV SINN FEIN PRESIDENT GERRY ADAMS PREPARING FOR TELEVISION INTERVIEW 1.03 6. SCU ADAMS SAYING THE INLA STATEMENT ISN'T HELPFUL, IT'S OPPORTUNISTIC, IT SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN, IT'S PART OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT COME SOMETIMES FROM SMALL GROUPS THAT ARE EAGER TO EXPLOIT PEOPLE'S FEARS (ENGLISH) 1.41 NEWRY, NORTHERN IRELAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 8, 1997) 7. GV WRECKAGE OF BURNED-OUT CAR TRANSPORTER ON ROAD (2 SHOTS) 1.53 8. SLV PEOPLE CYCLING PAST WRECKAGE 2.08 Initials P3 S3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 23rd July 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELFAST AND NEWRY, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVAB51XFCG067OEP0QYG37326YQF
  • Story Text: - INTRO: Masked gunmen boarded an Irish train and set it ablaze on Tuesday (July 8) as the British government struggled to contain Catholic anger over last weekend's Protestant Orange Order march in Northern Ireland.

    Passengers were ordered at gunpoint off the train, which was travelling from Dublin to Belfast, and the gunmen torched it. The attack was the second attack on a train since sectarian violence erupted in British-ruled Northern Ireland last weekend.

    Shooting and rioting erupted Sunday after authorities decided to allow the Protestant Orange Order to parade along Portadown's Garvaghy Road over the objections of its Catholic residents.

    A radical IRA splinter group threatened on Tuesday to attack another Orange Order march next weekend. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) said it was targetting an Orange Order parade on Belfast's lower Ormeau Road planned for Saturday (July 12).

    Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams was quick to condemn the INLA statement. Although he had not seen it, Adams said the statement should be withdrawn - it was not helpful, and was aimed only at exploiting people's fears, he said.

    Police reported scattered episodes of cars hijacked and set ablaze in Catholic West Belfast Tuesday. A section of the main motorway south was briefly blocked by a blazing car. The wreckage of a burned out car transporter bore witness to three days of violence.

    Since Saturday night 60 police and 49 civilians have been injured in the province.


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