A police officer was shot and wounded in the arm during what was believed to be a murder attempt by dissident republicans in Belfast on Sunday night.

The officer was shot in the arm in the forecourt of a petrol station on the Crumlin Road, north Belfast at about 7.30pm. His injuries were not life threatening and his condition in hospital has been described as stable.

Up to seven shots were fired from a car at a Police Service of Northern Ireland police (PSNI) patrol in Edenderry. Local reports said that the car used in the drive-by shooting was later seen being driven into the nearby republican Ardoyne district. Police, who said one person was arrested in connection with the shooting, closed off the Crumlin Road as part of a follow-up security operation.

Crumlin Rd N Belfast closed as police investigate shooting incident. Officer shot and wounded at petrol station around 7.30pm. Info to 101. — PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 22, 2017

Dissident republicans have a base in the Ardoyne-Oldpark area of north Belfast and have been actively targeting police officers over the past few years.



This latest shooting happened not far from a junction on the Crumlin Road where the New IRA fired a homemade rocket at a passing police patrol last year. No one was killed or seriously injured in that incident.

Mark Lindsay, the chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, which represents more than 90% of officers in the region, described Sunday’s attack as appalling. “The police serve the entire community and wounding one individual is an attack on the entire community. This attempted murder underlines the fragility of our peace,” he said.

Arlene Foster, the outgoing Northern Ireland first minister and leader of the Democratic Unionist party, condemned the shooting and said it was “the work of cowards”. Her DUP colleague, North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds, said it was deeply disturbing.

Gerry Kelly, the North Belfast Sinn Féin assembly representative, said those responsible had “absolutely nothing to offer society and need to call a halt to these activities immediately”.



James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland secretary, said he was “shocked and appalled” at the attack. “To attack officers who are going about their daily duty protecting the entire community is sickening,” he said.

He was joined in his condemnation by the Irish foreign minister, Charlie Flanagan, who tweeted: “I condemn tonight’s shooting in North Belfast & injury to a PSNI officer. No excuse for such criminality. I wish the officer a full recovery.”

Nichola Mallon, the Social Democratic and Labour party assembly member in north Belfast, said: “Those responsible for this attack, not only on the individual involved but on the progress that north Belfast has made, must be brought to justice. This community has rejected the men of violence before and it will do so again.”

The former lord mayor added: “There will be no cover given to those who seek to destabilise our progress and bring mayhem back to our streets. I would encourage anyone with any information whatsoever to bring it forward to the police.”

The murder attempt comes at a time of renewed political instability in Northern Ireland. The region faces fresh elections to the assembly at Stormont following the collapse of the last power-sharing government.

A fortnight ago, the deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, resigned from his post triggering the fall of the devolved administration. His decision was prompted by the refusal of Foster to stand down from her position while a public inquiry was held into a botched green energy scheme that is going to cost the taxpayer up to £50m.