The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) targeted the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory (NIFSL) facilities on Newtownbreda Road in the southern outskirts of Belfast with a large 3,000 lb bomb on 23 September 1992. The huge impact of the bomb destroyed the lab and damaged over 1,000 homes within a 1.5 mile radius, including adjacent Belvoir Park, a Protestant housing estate.[2][3] It was one of the biggest bombs ever detonated during Northern Ireland's Troubles, causing massive damage and being felt over 10 miles away.[4] Hundreds of residents had to be treated for shock. Several military vehicles were damaged.[5] The lab was a key target because it analysed evidence in cases involving IRA attacks.[6] The IRA had given a warning, and British Army bomb disposal experts were investigating an abandoned van when the explosion occurred. One estimate put the repair damage cost at £20 million at the time.[7]
| Forensic Science Laboratory bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Troubles | |
| Location | Newtownbreda, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Date | 23 September 1992 (UTC) |
| Target | Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory |
Attack type | Van bomb |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 20[1] |
| Perpetrator | Provisional Irish Republican Army South Armagh Brigade |
According to journalist and author Toby Harnden, the attack was planned and carried out from beginning to end by the IRA South Armagh Brigade. Volunteers from the brigade hijacked a truck near Newry and packed it with explosives weighing 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg). They left the truck outside the Forensic Science Laboratory at 8:40pm. Nearly 45 minutes later, after a coded warning, the bomb exploded.[8]