8 Mar 2009

South Antrim Brigade Of Real IRA Claims Attack

The Real IRA has said it carried out the shooting at an army barracks in Northern Ireland in which two British soldiers were killed, a newspaper says.

The Sunday Tribune in Dublin said it had been given a recognised codeword during a phone call from the group's 'South Antrim Brigade'.

The paper said: "The caller said he made no apologies for targeting British soldiers while they continued to occupy Ireland and also said he made no apologies for targeting the pizza delivery men who, he said, were collaborating with the British by servicing them."

Two British soldiers were shot dead in the attack in front of the main gates of the Massereene Barracks in Antrim, hours before they were due to leave for Afghanistan.

They were ambushed by gunmen firing automatic rifles as they went to take delivery of pizzas they had ordered ahead of a flight to Helmand province.

Sky News