Woman and man arrested in Ireland after police intercept ‘highly sophisticated’ bomb

Irish police, targeting dissident republicans, intercepted a "highly sophisticated" and completed bomb in a vehicle on the N2 near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, on Wednesday afternoon. The device contained a power unit, detonator, and military-grade explosives, believed to be intended for an under-car attack in Northern Ireland. A woman in her 20s, the driver, was arrested at the scene, and a man in his 40s was later arrested in Dublin. Gardaí confirmed the seizure was "extremely significant" and the result of an intelligence-led operation. The Irish Defence Forces EOD team examined the device.

Irish police intercepted an "extremely significant" car bomb earlier this week near the border with Northern Ireland as part of an investigation into dissident republicans. A woman in her 20s was arrested on Wednesday near Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, and a man in his 40s was later detained; both remain in custody on suspicion of offenses against the state. An Irish military bomb disposal team examined the explosive device. Police stated that a small minority of radicalized republicans, who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement, pose an ongoing threat, referencing two other car bomb incidents in Northern Ireland this year attributed to this group.