MI5 categorise the threat to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism as severe.
The number of occasions bomb disposal units were called out in Northern Ireland in 2020 was 264, an increase over recent years.
Gregory Campbell, Shadow DUP Spokesperson for International Development, asked via a written parliamentary question:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many occasions army bomb disposal units were called out in Northern Ireland in 2020; and on how many of those occasions it was established that devices were found to be not viable.”
James Heappey, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence, responded:
“For the year 2020, 264 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) taskings were conducted in Northern Ireland by army bomb disposal units. 103 taskings related to “suspicious items”, of which 70 devices were found to be not viable.”
Previously, call outs numbered 229 times between August 1st 2018 and July 31st 2019 according to government figures.
Even as recently as two days ago, Police urged the public in the Ballyarnett area of Londonderry not to touch any suspicious objects.
