<p>The Real IRA, which last year killed two British soldiers at a barracks in the deadliest act of violence in Northern Ireland in more than a decade, claimed responsibility for the blast.<br />Police said an elderly man was injured in the attack carried out in a hijacked taxi in County Down, near to where Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5 has its headquarters in the province. <br /><br />Intelligence issues handled by MI5 will remain under British control even after the devolution of police and justice. <br /><br />“The taxi driver got out (of the car) and shouted ‘It’s a bomb, it’s a bomb!’ and we were evacuating the area when it exploded,” a police spokeswoman said. The blast at 12:24 am (2324 GMT) was just after the midnight transfer of powers to Belfast and ahead of a vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly later on Monday to install a new justice minister. <br />David Ford, the leader of the non-sectarian Alliance Party who is widely expected to be appointed to the post, said he expected more attacks.<br /><br />The attack also coincides with campaigning for a British general election on May 6 and underlines the challenges to the Northern Ireland peace process, in which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been prominently involved. <br /><br />‘Severe’ risk<br />Analysts say republican dissidents who want an independent, united Ireland will remain active while police say the risk of attack, chiefly on security forces, is severe. <br />“This is one of the most significant attacks. It’s highly political as well as military. They (the dissidents) are showing nothing has changed because MI5 continues to hold the strings. They would regard the attack as a major success,” said Jon Tonge, politics professor at Britain’s Liverpool University who closely follows the Northern Ireland situation. <br />Reuters</p>
<p>The Real IRA, which last year killed two British soldiers at a barracks in the deadliest act of violence in Northern Ireland in more than a decade, claimed responsibility for the blast.<br />Police said an elderly man was injured in the attack carried out in a hijacked taxi in County Down, near to where Britain’s domestic spy agency MI5 has its headquarters in the province. <br /><br />Intelligence issues handled by MI5 will remain under British control even after the devolution of police and justice. <br /><br />“The taxi driver got out (of the car) and shouted ‘It’s a bomb, it’s a bomb!’ and we were evacuating the area when it exploded,” a police spokeswoman said. The blast at 12:24 am (2324 GMT) was just after the midnight transfer of powers to Belfast and ahead of a vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly later on Monday to install a new justice minister. <br />David Ford, the leader of the non-sectarian Alliance Party who is widely expected to be appointed to the post, said he expected more attacks.<br /><br />The attack also coincides with campaigning for a British general election on May 6 and underlines the challenges to the Northern Ireland peace process, in which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been prominently involved. <br /><br />‘Severe’ risk<br />Analysts say republican dissidents who want an independent, united Ireland will remain active while police say the risk of attack, chiefly on security forces, is severe. <br />“This is one of the most significant attacks. It’s highly political as well as military. They (the dissidents) are showing nothing has changed because MI5 continues to hold the strings. They would regard the attack as a major success,” said Jon Tonge, politics professor at Britain’s Liverpool University who closely follows the Northern Ireland situation. <br />Reuters</p>
