Arm na Poblachta
{{Short description|Irish-republican paramilitary group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
Arm na Poblachta (ANP) (meaning in English "Army of the Republic") is the name of a small,{{cite news |last=Jordan|first=Hugh |date=21 November 2022 |title=Micro-offshoot of New IRA called 'Arm na Poblachta' behind Strabane attack on PSNI|url=https://www.sundayworld.com/news/northern-ireland-news/micro-offshoot-of-new-ira-called-arm-na-poblachta-behind-strabane-attack-on-psni/1854265170.html |work=Sunday World|access-date=29 March 2023}} dissident, Irish-republican paramilitary group believed to have been founded in 2017.{{cite web|last1=O’Neill|first1=Sharon|title=PSNI confirms new NI dissident terror group after Up Close investigation|url=https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2017-08-29/psni-confirms-new-ni-dissident-terror-group-after-up-close-investigation-into-ciaran-maxwell|work=ITV|accessdate=28 March 2023|date=29 August 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/arm-na-poblachta-who-are-the-dissident-republican-group-threatening-police-officers-families/2056983678.html|title=Arm na Poblachta: Who are the dissident republican group threatening police officers' families?|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=7 March 2023 |access-date=28 March 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/rollingnews/2023/03/06/news/arm_na_poblachta_emerged_in_2017-3110978/|title=Who are republican group Arm na Poblachta?|first=Connla|last=Young|date=6 March 2023|website=The Irish News|access-date=28 March 2023}}
History
This militant group known as the ANP, emerged in 2017 by claiming responsibility for planting an improvised explosive device on Pantridge Road in Belfast.{{cite web|last1=Buck|first1=Kate|url-access=subscription|title=New dissident terror group says it left Belfast roadside bomb|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/new-dissident-terror-group-says-it-left-belfast-roadside-bomb-36278756.html|website=Belfast Telegraph|accessdate=30 March 2023|date=1 November 2017}} They claimed responsibility for a rocket reportedly found in the Poleglass area of Belfast following a telephone warning, PSNI have claimed they found a form of ‘explosively formed projectile’ (EFP) designed to be used against armored vehicles.{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/police-seize-significant-quantities-of-terrorist-related-weapons/36900084.html | title=Police seize 'significant quantities' of terrorist related weapons | date=12 May 2018 }}{{cite web | url=https://ansionnachfionn.com/2017/11/08/arm-na-poblachta-army-of-the-republic-reveals-its-anti-armour-capacity/ | title=Arm Na Poblachta, Army of the Republic, Reveals Its Anti-Armour Capacity | date=8 November 2017 }} It is also believed that Arm na Poblachta were responsible for the 2018 shooting death of Antrim resident Raymond Johnston.{{cite web|title=Raymond Johnston: 'Dissident group Arm na Poblachta murdered young dad'|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2018/06/21/news/raymond-johnston-dissident-group-arm-na-poblachta-murdered-young-dad-1361818/|website=The Irish News|accessdate=28 March 2023|date=21 June 2018}} They are reportedly made up of a "mixture gang" of ex-Provisional IRA, Continuity IRA and Oghlaigh na hEireann members.
In 2021, it claimed to have left a roadside device in the ‘Ballyarnett Road’ area of Derry.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-10 |title=Dissident republicans in Northern Ireland - what do they want? An explainer |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/09/10/news/dissident_republicans_in_northern_ireland_-_what_do_they_want_an_explainer-3601504/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}
On 12 March 2022, Arm na Poblachta had hijacked a delivery driver's car and left it around the junction at Feeny Road and Killunaght Road, near Dungiven, County Londonderry, a bomb that targeted a PSNI vehicle but did not explode. {{Cite web|title=Arm na Poblachta claims explosive device aimed at PSNI car in Co Derry|first=Connla |last= Young |website=The Irish News|date=12 March 2022|url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/03/12/news/arm-na-poblachta-claim-explosive-device-aimed-at-psni-car-in-co-derry-2612908/|access-date=28 March 2023}}
The night of 17 November 2022, an explosive device was thrown to a police car in the town of Strabane and it exploded without the officers in the car being hurt. Strabane resident Teresa Breslin, whose twin brother Charlie was executed by the SAS in an anti-IRA operation in the town, called the bomb attack "a bloody disgrace", calling it "something we never thought we’d go through again".
Ιn February 2023, Arm na Poblachta claimed responsibility for planting an explosive device in the Corrody Road area of Derry, which resulted in a security alert in the area.{{Cite web|first=Kevin|last=Mullan|date=7 March 2023|url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/crime/arm-na-poblachta-claim-it-left-derry-devices-sinister-threat-to-families-of-police-condemned-4054041|title=Arm na Poblachta claim it left Derry devices; 'sinister' threat to families of police condemned|website=Derry Journal|access-date=28 March 2023}}
In March 2023, the group issued threats against the families of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers. The threats were condemned by the SDLP member of the Legislative Assembly and Northern Ireland Policing Board member Mark H. Durkan.{{Cite web|website=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-64872939|title=Dissident republican group warns PSNI families are targets|date=7 March 2023|access-date=28 March 2023}} One former police officer reportedly said that the threats made by the ANP could deter young PSNI recruits from staying in the force or joining.{{Cite news |date=2023-03-08 |title=Dissident republican threat will 'deter young PSNI recruits' |language=en-GB |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-64885856 |access-date=2024-01-01}} The same month, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced a raise in the terrorism threat level assessment from "substantial" to "severe" for Northern Ireland, a level indicating that an attack is "highly likely," which reverses a 12-year old downward trend.{{Cite web|website=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65096493|title=Northern Ireland terrorism threat level rises|date=28 March 2023|access-date=28 March 2023|location=N.Ireland|first1=Julian|last1= O'Neill|first2=Niall|last2=Glynn}} Also in March 2023, three men were jailed over a "savage group attack" in West Belfast which was linked to the ANP. This claim was based on the fact that a "Join ANP" graffiti stencil was found in a premises associated with one of the arrested men. The attack had taken place in 2018. {{Cite web |date=2023-03-10 |title=Three jailed over 'savage group attack' in west Belfast linked to Arm na Poblachta | url = https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/03/10/news/three_jailed_over_dissident_republican_anp_attack_in_west_belfast-3125335/ |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}
In November 2023, the ANP were blamed for a bomb hoax alert in Derry. {{Cite web |date=2023-11-26 |title=Dissident republican group ANP believed to be behind Co Derry alert |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2023/11/26/news/anp_behind_co_derry_alert-3801548/ |access-date=2023-12-21 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}
According to an article in the Sunday World newspaper, of April 2023, unnamed sources claimed that the ANP were "desperate" to kill someone, in order to prove that they are "not the Mickey Mouse outfit they have been labelled". The same article referred to the "Óglaigh na hÉireann" Real IRA splinter group (ONH) suggested that "[t]ensions between ONH and ANP have been mounting".{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=Rival terror gangs 'desperate for a kill' amid concerns for safety of PSNI officers |url=https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/irish-crime/rival-terror-gangs-desperate-for-a-kill-amid-concerns-for-safety-of-psni-officers/a463962031.html |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=SundayWorld.com |language=en}}
In February 2024, ANP claimed that they had targeted two PSNI vehicles in Derry. Two viable devices were later found.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-26 |title=Dissident Arm na Poblachta claim two PSNI vehicles targeted in Co Derry |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/dissident-arm-na-poblachta-claim-two-psni-vehicles-targeted-in-co-derry-PGTRS55FSZDEFFHD7CDC3GSKO4/ |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=The Irish News |language=en}}