Editing Real Irish Republican Army (section)

====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>