doen

The attack at the army base in Antrim has been condemned by political leaders [AFP]




Rioters have clashed with police in the town of Lurgan in Northern Ireland.

The violence on Saturday followed the arrests of three men on suspicion of killing two British soldiers last week at an army barracks in Antrim, outside Belfast, Northern Ireland's main city.

Police said none of their officers were injured during the violence.

The men arrested - aged 21, 32 and 41 - were seized in two separate raids on Saturday, police in Belfast said.

The Real IRA (Irish Republican Army), a dissident republican group aiming to end British rule in the province, said it carried out the shooting at the barracks.

Cengiz Azimkar and Mark Quinsey of the Royal Engineers were shot dead as they collected a pizza delivery outside the Massereene base.

Two other soldiers and two delivery staff were injured.

Third killing

The attack on the base was followed by the killing of a police officer, which was claimed by the Continuity IRA, another group that split from the IRA after a ceasefire was agreed with the British government in 1997.

Police are questioning three other men over that killing.

Thousands of people attended the funeral of Constable Stephen Carroll on Friday.

Politicians from both the republican and unionist - supporters of British rule - camps have condemned the attacks and vowed to continue to work together in the province's government.

The two sides agreed to share power in 2007 with Sinn Fein, a republican group with strong links to the IRA, joining the Democratic Unionists in government.

Posted by doen at 8:26 PM