Two vans have been hijacked by masked men in Derry today in very similar scenarios. Police cordons have been set up in both areas and homes have been evacuated. A Royal Mail van was hijacked at roughly 1.45pm by four masked men with one of them reported having had a gun. It comes days after a car bomb exploded in the Northern Irish city, where a car was abandoned in a built-up area and an explosive inside detonated. PSNI Superintendent Gordon McCalmont said a community centre in the Creggan has been made available to those who had to leave their homes."I know this security alert will cause significant disruption to many people, but we will not take any chances and we have no option but to take these measures in order to keep people safe", he said.
This afternoon the Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI) tweeted: "Security alert currently in Derry/Londonderry in Circular Rd area after report van hijacked around 11.30am by 3 masked men who threw an object in the back before abandoning it. On Saturday evening a bomb left in an abandoned car outside Bishop Street Courthouse exploded. Police attended the scene after receiving a warning through the Samaritans and cleared the scene before the explosion. Nobody was injured in the blast. The PSNI has said that they believe dissident republican group the New IRA was behind the attack. The courthouse remains closed.
Reports have suggested that Prime Minister Theresa May is considering amending the Good Friday Agreement to get her Brexit deal through Westminster. Her spokesman today said: "The PM has been clear on multiple occasions that we are committed to upholding the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and to delivering a solution that avoids a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland."Today is the 100th anniversary of the Soloheadbeg ambush, which is seen as the beginning of Ireland's war for independence.