1982 Divis Flats bombing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1982 Divis Flats bombing |
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| Part of "the Troubles" | |
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| Location | Cullingtree Walk, Divis Tower, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Date | 16 September 1982 (GMT) |
| Target | British Army foot patrol |
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Attack type
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Bombing |
| Weapons | remote control bomb |
| Deaths | 1 British soldier 2 civilians |
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Non-fatal injuries
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4 |
| Perpetrator | Irish National Liberation Army Belfast Brigade |
On Thursday, September 16, 1982, a bomb exploded in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This event was part of a period known as the Troubles. A group called the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) was responsible. They hid a bomb in a drainpipe on a balcony at Cullingtree Walk, Divis Tower.
The bomb went off as a British Army patrol walked along the balcony. At the same time, a group of people were throwing stones at the soldiers. The explosion tragically killed three people. One was a 20-year-old British soldier named Kevin Waller. The other two were young boys, Stephen Bennet (14) and Kevin Valliday (12). They were civilians who happened to be passing by. Four other people were hurt, including another soldier and three civilians. An INLA member used a remote control to set off the bomb from the ground. They could not see who was on the balcony when they did this.
Many people in the Irish Nationalist community were very angry at the INLA. They were upset because the two young boys had died.
The INLA and The Troubles
The year 1982 was a very active time for the INLA. During this year, they caused more deaths among British security forces than in any other year of the Troubles. In December 1982, the INLA carried out another attack. This was the Droppin Well bombing, which killed 17 people. Among them were 11 British soldiers who were off duty. This was the INLA's deadliest attack against the British Army.
Aftermath and Justice
An INLA member named Martin McElkerney was found responsible for the Divis bombing. He was sentenced to prison in 1987. However, he was released in 1999. This release happened under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement helped bring peace to Northern Ireland.
See also
- Central Bar bombing
- Darkley killings
- Droppin Well bombing
- Timeline of Irish National Liberation Army actions
