Gunmen open fire on police near Irish border

Police investigating a security alert near the Irish border came under gun attack but escaped injury, officers revealed today.

The railway line at Newry, Co Down, was closed on Friday following reports of a suspected bomb which was being blamed on dissident republicans.

But police officers came under gun attack as they examined the scene at around 9.15pm last night.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said there were no reports of injuries.

The alert on the track between Killeen and Meigh led to the closure of the Belfast to Dublin rail link on Friday after the suspected device was reported .

The security scare caused travel chaos for rugby fans making their way to the Irish capital for Saturday's Ireland v Scotland Six Nations championship match at Croke Park.

Dissident republican groups, violently opposed to the peace process, were blamed for a series of security alerts over recent days that disrupted traffic in Belfast and Londonderry.

On Saturday army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion after a viable device was found in Magherafelt, Co Derry.

Homes and businesses were evacuated and while there were no reports of injuries, police said lives had been put in jeopardy by those who planted the explosive device in a busy area.