Two men have been arrested by police investigating the discovery of an improvised mortar bomb in Northern Ireland.

A hijacked pizza delivery van was used to place the device in Church View in Strabane in Co Tyrone, with the vehicle later found burned out.

Detectives believe the New IRA was responsible for the incident in September. They have said it was intended to attack police.

Two men aged 25 were detained in the Strabane area using terrorism laws and searches were conducted, the PSNI said.

To date, detectives have arrested five people and charged a 28-year-old man with perverting the course of justice; assisting offenders and recording information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

Detective Inspector Andrew Hamlin said: “I believe that the New IRA members behind this attack are living in the community, amongst the people whose lives they put at risk.

“Our focus is on keeping the community safe and protecting them from the threat posed by these violent groups but we need the help of the public.

“Our chances of success are vastly improved by support and information from the community, as today’s search and arrest operation demonstrates.”