Bomb found under policeman's car in Northern Ireland

BELFAST, June 18 (Reuters) - Police discovered a bomb under the car of a police officer in Northern Ireland early on Thursday that they said was powerful enough to cause death or serious injury.

Police remained at the scene of the officer's home near the city of Londonderry on Thursday morning after the discovery overnight, but said the attempted bombing had been "thwarted".

"This is a stark reminder that the threat against our Police Service and its employees remains at severe," Local District Commander Superintendent Mark McEwan said in a statement.

Thousands were killed in Northern Ireland during three decades of conflict that pitted Republicans who wanted the province to join the Republic of Ireland against Unionists who wanted to keep it inside the United Kingdom.

The Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 largely put an end to the violence, but some dissident Irish militants still reject the power-sharing deal. (Reporting by Maurice Neil and Conor Humphries; Editing by Gareth Jones)

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The Irish bless 'em!