1982 Divis Flats bombing

Bombing in Northern Ireland October 2017 January 2025 1982 Divis Flats bombing "the Troubles" UK Northern Ireland yes 250 54.6000 -5.9422 5 Cullingtree Walk, Divis Tower, Belfast, Northern Ireland 54.6000 -5.9422 title region:GB_scale:5000 16 September 1982 GMT Bombing remote control bomb 1 British soldier 2 civilians 4 Irish National Liberation Army Belfast Brigade British Army foot patrol thumb|right|300px|Divis Tower, Belfast in 2004 On Thursday 16 September 1982, the Irish Republican and Revolutionary Socialist paramilitary organization the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) exploded a bomb hidden in a drainpipe along a balcony in Cullingtree Walk, Divis Tower, Belfast. The explosive device was detonated as a British Army patrol was attacked by a "stone-throwing mob" as they walked along a balcony at Cullingtree Walk. The blast killed three people, a British Army soldier named Kevin Waller (20), and two Catholic civilian passers-by, both of whom were children, they were Stephen Bennet (14) and Kevin Valliday (12).http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/chron/1982.html CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths Sutton Malcolm cain.ulst.ac.uk 2018-06-29 Four other people were injured in the explosion, including another British soldier and three civilians. An INLA member detonated the bomb using a remote control from ground level, where they couldn't see who was on the balcony.Jack Holland & Henry Mcdonald (1994) INLA: Deadly Divisions. pp. 213–214The Belfast Telegraph, 19 May 1983. There was anger from the Irish Nationalist community directed towards the INLA over the deaths of the two young civilians. 1982 was the INLA's most active year of The Troubles and they killed more British security forces in 1982 than in any other year of the conflict. In December 1982 they carried out the Droppin Well bombing which killed 17 people including 11 off-duty British soldiers, making it the group's deadliest attack against the British Army.Jack Holland & Henry Mcdonald (1994) INLA: Deadly Divisions. pp. 362–363 INLA Volunteer Martin McElkerney was sentenced to life for the Divis bombing in 1987, but he was released in 1999 under the Good Friday Agreement.https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/inla-prisoners-set-for-freedom-28274515.html INLA prisoners set for freedom BelfastTelegraph.co.uk 2018-06-29 en-GB 0307-1235 In May 2019 McElkerney was found shot, with a handgun nearby, after making a number of concerning phone calls. He later died in hospital.http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/05/17/news/ex-inla-leader-fighting-for-life-after-incident-at-milltown-cemetery-plot-1621849/ Ex-INLA leader dies after incident at Milltown Cemetery plot Allison Morris 17 May 2019 The Irish News Belfast live https://web.archive.org/web/20210603025448/https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/05/17/news/ex-inla-leader-fighting-for-life-after-incident-at-milltown-cemetery-plot-1621849/ 3 June 2021 See also Central Bar bombing Darkley killings Droppin Well bombing Timeline of Irish National Liberation Army actions Sources Jack Holland, Henry McDonald (1994) INLA – Deadly Divisions CAIN project References collapsed Category:Massacres in Northern Ireland Category:1982 in Northern Ireland Category:Improvised explosive device bombings in 1982 Category:The Troubles in Belfast Category:20th century in County Antrim Category:1982 conflicts Category:Irish National Liberation Army actions Category:September 1982 in the United Kingdom Category:Improvised explosive device bombings in Northern Ireland Category:Military actions and engagements during the Troubles (Northern Ireland) Category:1980s murders in Northern Ireland Category:1982 murders in the United Kingdom Category:1980s disasters in Ireland Category:1982 murders in Ireland