1976: Ten dead in Northern Ireland ambush

Ten Protestant men have been shot dead as they were returning home from work in a mini-bus in Northern Ireland.

The attack happened on the Whitecross to Bessbrook Road in South Armagh this evening as the men, all textile workers, returned from a factory six miles from Bessbrook.

The mini-bus in which they were travelling was ambushed by up to a dozen attackers. It is believed the massacre was in revenge for the murders of five Catholics in Lurgan and Whitecross last night.

Initial reports suggest the passengers were forced to line up outside their vehicle, after which they were systematically gunned down.

They were just lying like dogs

Johnston Chapman

