Editing Real Irish Republican Army (section)

===Return to activity===
On 20 January 2000, the RIRA issued a call-to-arms in a statement to the ''[[Irish News]]''. The statement condemned the [[Northern Ireland Executive]], and stated: "Once again, Óglaigh na hÉireann declares the right of the Irish people to the ownership of Ireland. We call on all volunteers loyal to the Irish Republic to unite to uphold the Republic and establish a permanent national parliament representative of all the people."<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|326}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Real IRA call for unity among all Republicans |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0120/north.html |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |date=20 January 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref> The RIRA launched its new campaign on 25 February with an attempted bombing of [[Shackleton Barracks|Shackleton Army Barracks]] in [[Ballykelly, County Londonderry|Ballykelly]]. The bombers were disturbed as they were assembling the device, which would have caused mass murder if detonated, according to soldiers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Police quiz man about bombing |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/656770.stm |work=BBC News |date=28 February 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Real IRA behind bid to blow up barracks |author=Tom Brady |url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/real-ira-behind-bid-to-blow-up-barracks-383691.html |work=The Irish Independent |date=29 February 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref>

On 29 February, a rocket launcher similar to one seized in the 1999 raid was found near an army base in [[Dungannon]], County Tyrone,<ref>{{cite news |title=Rocket launcher linked to dissidents |author=Tom Brady |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/661265.stm |work=BBC News |date=29 February 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref> and on 15 March three men were arrested following the discovery of 500&nbsp;lb of home-made explosives when the RUC searched two cars in [[Hillsborough, County Down]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Explosives find linked to Real IRA |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/679353.stm |work=BBC News |date=16 March 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref> On 6 April a bomb attack took place at [[Ebrington Barracks]] in Derry. RIRA members lowered a device consisting of 5&nbsp;lb of homemade explosives over the [[perimeter fence]] using ropes, and the bomb subsequently exploded damaging the fence and an unmanned guardhouse.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|335}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Bombing blamed on dissidents |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/703814.stm |work=BBC News |date=6 April 2000 |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref>

====Bombings in England====
[[File:Real IRA bomb damage in Ealing.jpg|thumb|left|The damage caused by the [[3 August 2001 Ealing bombing]]]]
After the Omagh bombing, the RIRA leadership were unwilling to launch a full-scale campaign in Northern Ireland due to the possibility of civilians being killed.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|338}} Instead they decided to launch a series of attacks in England, in particular London, which they hoped would attract disenchanted Provisional IRA members to join the RIRA.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|338}} On 1 June 2000, a bomb damaged [[Hammersmith Bridge]], a symbolic target for Irish republican paramilitary groups.<ref>{{cite news |title=Police hunt bridge bombers |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/774216.stm |work=BBC News |date=2 June 2000 |access-date=6 May 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McDonald |first=Henry |author-link=Henry McDonald (writer) |date=4 June 2000 |title=Real IRA armed with super mortar |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jun/04/northernireland.henrymcdonald2 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=15 June 2007}}</ref> The bridge had been targeted by the [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|Irish Republican Army]] on 29 March 1939 as part of its [[S-Plan|Sabotage Campaign]], and by the Provisional IRA [[1996 Hammersmith Bridge bomb|on 24 April 1996]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Randall |first=Colin |title=Bridge survives as IRA's 30lb bombs fail to explode |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1996/04/26/nbomb26.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=26 April 1996 |access-date=15 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040826074517/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1996%2F04%2F26%2Fnbomb26.html |archive-date=26 August 2004 }}</ref>

On 19 July, security forces carried out a controlled explosion on a bomb left at [[Ealing Broadway station]] and public transport was disrupted when the [[Metropolitan Police]] closed [[London Victoria station|Victoria]] and [[London Paddington station|Paddington]] train stations and halted services on the [[London Underground]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Bomb scares hit capital | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/840694.stm | work = BBC News | date = 19 July 2000 | access-date = 5 May 2007}}</ref> On [[2000 MI6 attack|21 September]] a [[rocket-propelled grenade]] was fired at the [[SIS Building|MI6 headquarters]] using an [[RPG-22]] rocket launcher, which generated headlines around the world.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|349–350}}<ref name="Boyne" />{{rp|84}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Security tight in London in wake of MI6 attack |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0921/9022-dissidents/ |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |date=21 September 2000 |access-date=3 May 2007}}</ref> In November 2000, security forces foiled a plot to drive 500 lb of homemade explosives to central London that month, a bomb twice as powerful as the one in Omagh. At the time, police were warning for weeks that a terrorist attack in London could be imminent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1374106/Real-IRAs-500lb-bomb-for-London-is-thwarted.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1374106/Real-IRAs-500lb-bomb-for-London-is-thwarted.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Real IRA's 500lb bomb for London is thwarted|first=David|last=Cracknell|date=12 November 2000|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On 21 February 2001, a bomb disguised as a [[Flashlight|torch]] left outside a [[Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] base in [[Shepherd's Bush]] seriously injured a 14-year-old cadet, who was blinded and had his hand blown off.<ref>{{cite news | title = TA blast was deliberate attack | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1183106.stm | work = BBC News | date = 22 February 2001 | access-date = 15 June 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = BBC bomb prompts terror warning | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1201444.stm | work = BBC News | date = 5 March 2001 | access-date = 15 June 2007}}</ref> A second attack in Shepherd's Bush, the [[4 March 2001 BBC bombing|4 March BBC bombing]], injured a civilian outside the [[BBC Television Centre]].<ref>{{cite news | title = Bomb blast outside BBC | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1201273.stm | work = BBC News | date = 4 March 2001 | access-date = 3 May 2007}}</ref> The explosion was captured by a BBC cameraman, and the footage was broadcast on TV stations worldwide, and gained mass publicity for the group.<ref>{{cite book | last = Taylor | first = Peter | author-link = Peter Taylor (Journalist) | title = Brits | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing | year = 2001 | page = [https://archive.org/details/brits00pete/page/384 384] | isbn = 0-7475-5806-X | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/brits00pete/page/384 }}</ref> On 14 April, a bomb exploded at a postal [[sorting office]] in [[Hendon]], causing minor damage but no injuries.<ref>{{cite news | title = Real IRA linked to post office blast | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1278355.stm | work = BBC News | date = 15 April 2001 | access-date = 15 June 2007}}</ref> Three weeks later on 6 May, a second bomb exploded at the same building, causing slight injuries to a passer-by.<ref>{{cite news | title = Election bombing campaign feared | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1315452.stm | work = BBC News | date = 6 May 2001 | access-date = 15 June 2007}}</ref> The [[3 August 2001 Ealing bombing]] injured seven people, and on 3 November a car bomb containing 60&nbsp;lb of home-made explosives was planted in the centre of [[Birmingham]]. The bomb did not fully detonate and no one was injured.<ref>{{cite news | title = New leads in hunt for bombers | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1649338.stm | work = BBC News | date = 11 November 2001 | access-date = 3 May 2007}}</ref>

====Renewed campaign in Northern Ireland====
The successful attack on Hammersmith Bridge encouraged the RIRA leadership to launch further attacks in Northern Ireland.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|340}} On 19 June 2000 a bomb was found in the grounds of [[Hillsborough Castle]], home of [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] [[Peter Mandelson]].<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|340}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Mandelson feels 'safe' despite device |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/798309.stm |work=BBC News |date=20 June 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> On 30 June, a bomb exploded on the Dublin-to-Belfast railway line near the village of [[Meigh]] in [[County Armagh]]. The explosion damaged the tracks, and caused disruption to train services.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dissidents linked to railway blast |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/812563.stm |work=BBC News |date=30 June 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> On 9 July a car bomb damaged buildings in [[Stewartstown, County Tyrone]] including an RUC station,<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|361}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Dissidents linked to NI blast |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/825178.stm |work=BBC News |date=9 July 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> and on 10 August, an attack in Derry was thwarted by the RUC after a van containing a 500&nbsp;lb bomb failed to stop at a police checkpoint. Following a car chase the bombers escaped across the Irish border, and the [[Irish Army]] carried out a controlled explosion on the bomb after the van was found abandoned in [[County Donegal]].<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|347–348}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Major NI bomb attack 'thwarted' |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/875812.stm |work=BBC News |date=11 August 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref>

On 13 September 2000, two 80&nbsp;lb bombs were planted at the Magilligan army camp in County Londonderry, one of which was planted in a wooden hut and partially exploded when a soldier opened the door to the hut.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|347–348}} The second bomb was found during a follow-up search and made safe by bomb disposal experts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bombs placed in army base |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/922958.stm |work=BBC News |date=13 September 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> On 11 November the RUC and British Army prevented a mortar attack after stopping a van near [[Derrylin]], County Fermanagh,<ref>{{cite news |title=Mortar find linked to Real IRA |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1021000.stm |work=BBC News |date=13 November 2000 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref> and the RUC prevented a further attack on 13 January 2001 when an 1100&nbsp;lb bomb was found in [[Armagh]] – the largest bomb found in several years according to the RUC.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|374}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Bomb 'largest found' in recent years |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1122561.stm |work=BBC News |date=17 January 2001 |access-date=28 June 2007}}</ref>

On 23 January, the RIRA attacked Ebrington Army Barracks in Derry for a second time, firing a mortar over a perimeter fence.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|375–376}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Dissident Republicans blamed for mortar attack |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2001/0123/11835-bomb/ |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |date=23 January 2001 |access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref> A mortar similar to the one used in the attack was found by Gardaí near [[Newtowncunningham]] on 13 February, and British army bomb disposal experts made safe another mortar found between [[Dungannon]] and [[Carrickmore]] on 12 April.<ref name="Mooney" />{{rp|375–376}}<ref>{{cite news | title = 'Barrack buster' mortar disarmed | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1274997.stm | work = BBC News | date = 15 April 2001 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref> On 1 August a 40&nbsp;lb bomb was discovered in a car at the long-stay car park of [[Belfast International Airport]] following a telephone warning, and was made safe with two controlled explosions by bomb disposal experts.<ref>{{cite news | title = Dissidents blamed for airport bomb | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1469573.stm | work = BBC News | date = 2 August 2001 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref> In December a six-day security operation ended when a 70&nbsp;lb bomb found under railway tracks at Killeen Bridge near Newry was defused. The operation began following telephone warnings, and the road and railway line connecting Newry to Dundalk were closed due to security alerts.<ref>{{cite web | title = Bomb found under rail line | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1692599.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 5 December 2001 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref>

A [[pipe bomb]] was discovered at a police officer's home in [[Annalong]], County Down on 3 January 2002,<ref>{{cite web | title = Republicans 'attacked officer's home' | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1742240.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 4 January 2002 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref> and two teenage boys were injured in County Armagh on 2 March when a bomb hidden in a [[traffic cone]] exploded.<ref>{{cite web | title = Boys injured in blast | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1852162.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 3 March 2002 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref> On 29 March 2002 the RIRA targeted a former member of the [[Royal Irish Regiment (1992)|Royal Irish Regiment]] from [[Sion Mills]], County Tyrone, with a bomb attached to his car that failed to explode.<ref>{{cite news | title = Ex-soldier escapes 'Real IRA' booby trap bomb attack | author = David McKittrick | url = http://www.independent.ie/national-news/exsoldier-escapes-real--ira-booby-trap-bomb--attack-315371.html | newspaper = The Irish Independent | date = 30 March 2002 | access-date = 17 March 2009}}</ref> On 1 August 2002 a civilian worker was killed by an explosion at a Territorial Army base in Derry. The man, a 51-year-old former member of the [[Ulster Defence Regiment]], was the thirtieth person killed by the RIRA.<ref>{{cite web | title = Dissidents blamed for army attack | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2166312.stm | publisher = BBC | date = 1 August 2002 | access-date = 28 June 2007}}</ref>