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Gardai are compiling a fresh list of dissident IRA sympathisers as they prepare for a potential hard border.

The threat from dissidents has risen as the so-called New IRA begin a campaign of terror.

Sources have said there is now an effort to build an up to date intelligence picture of potential dissidents across the country.

A source said: “There is a strong move to gather information on people who have relationships with dissident groups.

“The old guard has changed and there may be young recruits now who were not part of these organisations previously.

“There have been a lot of successes for the gardai and the security services in the North but the need for detailed intelligence is critical.

(Image: Jonathan Porter/PressEye)

“The gardai are continually looking at these people and compiling intelligence - there clearly is a new desire to launch a fresh campaign.

“These dissidents are led by a hardcore handful of fundamentalists with a crop of new young recruits from both sides of the border.”

It has also been claimed in recent days that the terror group are specifically operating on both sides of the border.

The border areas has suffered a serious garda manpower crisis since the Government launched cuts against the gardai.

One source said: “Since 2008 Cavan Monaghan Division is down 72 gardai. In same period Donegal division is down 84 members. These are the official department of justice figures.

“Policing in the border area has always been a challenge but now with the potential of the border coming back it will be more even more difficult.”

(Image: Getty)

Intelligence and anti-terror gardai carried out a massive search operation in the Cooley Peninsula in recent weeks netting a giant haul of weaponry, explosives and ammunition.

Detectives from theSpecial Detective Unit backed up by the Emergency Response Unit searched a wide area of land.

The New IRA are an off shoot and amalgamation of other dissident terror groups opposed to the Good Friday Agreement.

In a statement provided to local paper the Derry Journal, the group said it placed a car bomb in Bishop Street, Derry in January.

That attack was claimed by a group styling itself “The IRA”. The New IRA is believed to be led by a notorious bomber who has carried out atrocities over decades.

Sources have said that he has come to attention of security forces again and is planning a new campaign.

(Image: @PSNIDCSDistrict)

In a statement the group claimed responsibility and said they will not issue any warnings of future bombings.

The statement read: “We also caution those who collaborate with the British that they are to desist immediately as no more warnings will be given.

The group added that it will “continue to strike at crown forces and personnel and their imperial establishment.

“All this talk of Brexit, hard borders, soft borders, has no bearing on our actions and the IRA won’t be going anywhere. Our fight goes on.”

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