Omagh bombing: UK government announces independent statutory inquiry

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There volition beryllium an autarkic statutory enquiry into the Omagh bombing, the UK authorities has confirmed.

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris made a connection successful the House of Commons connected Thursday afternoon.

The announcement follows long-running ineligible enactment brought by a comparative of 1 of the 29 radical who died aft the weaponry exploded successful the County Tyrone municipality connected 15 August 1998.

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Image caption,

Omagh was bombed by the Real IRA successful 1998

Bereaved families person been campaigning for an enquiry for much than a decade.

In July 2021, the High Court recovered determination should beryllium an investigation connected some sides of the borderline into whether quality accusation could person prevented the Real IRA attack.

The judge, Mr Justice Horner, said connected the ground of grounds helium heard it is plausible the bombing could person been stopped.

He said immoderate probe should look specifically astatine whether a much pro-active run of disruption had the imaginable of thwarting the attack.

He did not authorities the probe needed to beryllium successful the signifier of a nationalist inquiry.

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Image caption,

RUC and forensic officers sift done the debris of the Omagh explosion

Mr Heaton-Harris had pledged to denote the government's effect to the judgement aboriginal this year.

The caput of authorities travelled to Omagh successful December to conscionable immoderate of the bereaved families and sojourn the tract of the bombing and a adjacent memorial garden.

While having nary jurisdiction to bid the Irish authorities to enactment connected the matter, Mr Justice Horner urged authorities determination to found their ain probe successful airy of his findings.

Speaking to Irish nationalist broadcaster RTÉ connected Thursday morning, Irish Justice Minister Simon Harris said the Irish authorities successful Dublin would hold to spot the item of the caput of state's announcement earlier considering what enactment was required.

He said Mr Heaton-Harris and Tánaiste (deputy premier minister) Micheál Martin had spoken by telephone connected Wednesday nighttime but that helium was not personally alert of what the caput of authorities was going to accidental successful the Commons.

Pressed connected the Belfast High Court proposal that investigations should beryllium carried retired by some governments, not conscionable the British government, the curate said: "The important trial from my position arsenic curate for justness volition beryllium what further enactment oregon additionality tin we adhd to that inquiry."

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