Prison officer murdered in Armagh

It’s thought dissident republicans were behind the death of a prison officer in the North this morning.

The man was shot at as he drove to work on the M1 between Lurgan and Portadown at around 7.30 this morning.

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The vehicle then veered off the road and crashed.

The Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has condemned the murder as ‘brutal and barbaric’.

In a statement, he’s expressed sympathy on behalf of the Government to the family, friends and colleagues of the murdered prison officer.

The Minister says the Government will fully support efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice – and to deal with the threat posed by dissident republicans.