In an interview with Channel 4 News a member of an armed, paramilitary group, calling itself the IRA, but is dubbed by the media the “New IRA” has said that Good Friday Agreement is “dead” and that British infrastructure in Northern Ireland will be attacked.
In what is the first on camera interview the masked man, whose voice was dubbed for the purposes of anonymity said that the IRA are “committed to armed struggle for political and social change in Ireland.”
The unnamed spokesman also said that “any installation or aspects of British occupation within the six counties – be it at the border or elsewhere – any infrastructure would be a legitimate target for attack and armed actions against those infrastructures and against the people who are manning them.”
The IRA volunteer said that regardless of Brexit and whether or not a hard border will be imposed in Ireland the group will continue its armed struggle until British control of Northern Ireland is ended.
The threat from Dissident Republicans has steadily grown in recent months as fears of a hard border returning to Ireland were stoked during Brexit negotiations.
Following the accidental killing of journalist Lyra McKee during a gun attack by the New IRA on the PSNI in Derry in April the profile of the group has significantly increased in the international media.
Despite expressing regret at the death of the Ms. McKee the group said that they would not be dissuaded from their armed struggle.
These proclamations from the New IRA asserting that they intend to reignite conflict in the North come at the same time as senior loyalists are warning that any Brexit deal that separates Northern Ireland from Britain would mean a return to terrorism on their part and even bombings in the Republic.
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