1993 Fivemiletown ambush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1993 Fivemiletown ambush |
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| Part of the Troubles and Operation Banner | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Provisional IRA• East Tyrone Brigade |
 United Kingdom•  RUC• .svg){kind=small} British Army |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2 active service units | 1 RUC mobile patrol 1 British Army helicopter |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 2 constables killed | ||||||
On December 12, 1993, a group from the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked a police patrol in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Two police officers, Andrew Beacom and Ernest Smith, were killed. After the attack, a British Army helicopter was also shot at by another IRA group. This event happened just three days before the Downing Street Declaration, an important step towards peace in Northern Ireland.
Contents
What Happened Before in the Area
Fivemiletown is a town in County Tyrone, close to the border with County Fermanagh. Before this 1993 attack, no one had died in Fivemiletown directly because of the conflict known as The Troubles. However, there had been other incidents nearby.
Bomb Attack on Police Station
On May 7, 1992, members of the IRA used a tractor to deliver a large bomb to the local police station in Fivemiletown. The bomb weighed about 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds). When it exploded, ten civilians were hurt, and many buildings nearby were damaged. The police station itself was badly hit. The explosion was so loud it could be heard from 30 miles away. The IRA later said that destroying this police station made British forces patrol from a different station in Clogher. This allowed the IRA to study their routes and plan the 1993 ambush.
Another Incident in May 1992
A few hours later, on May 9, 1992, a British soldier accidentally killed his own sergeant during a security operation around the damaged police station. This is sometimes called a "friendly fire" incident.
Mortar Attack in Clogher
On January 20, 1993, the police station in Clogher was hit by a powerful homemade mortar bomb. This bomb was called a "barrack-buster." It caused a lot of damage, and several police officers received minor injuries. This attack was also carried out by the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade.
The IRA Attack and Search Operation
Constable Andrew Beacom and Reserve Constable Ernest Smith were patrolling Fivemiletown's Main Street in an unmarked car early on December 12, 1993. They were part of a special police unit that watched the border between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Both officers were based at the Clogher police station.
The Ambush
The IRA said that two of their small groups of fighters, called "active service units," had waited in the center of Fivemiletown. They identified the unmarked police car before the attack. At 1:30 AM, as the police car reached the corner of Main Street and Coneen Street, at least two IRA members opened fire from both sides of the road. They used automatic guns and hit the car with more than 20 bullets. Both officers, Beacom and Smith, died instantly. Constable Beacom lived in Fivemiletown, very close to where the attack happened. His wife, who owned a restaurant nearby, was one of the first people to arrive at the scene. Constable Smith lived with his family in Augher.
A colleague of the officers said that their deaths were very upsetting for their unit. Both men were known for knowing the local area very well.
The Search for the Attackers
After the attack, a large search operation was started between Fivemiletown and the border with the Republic of Ireland. British Army troops and more police officers were brought in, including some by helicopter, to try and stop the attackers from escaping.
About an hour after the ambush, a British Army helicopter, a Lynx, spotted some IRA members in the search area, a few miles from the shooting site. However, the helicopter was shot at with automatic rifles and had to fly away. The helicopter was not hit, and the attackers managed to get away. The IRA claimed that a second group of their fighters had attacked the helicopter. They had set up a firing spot where they expected British helicopters to fly in with more troops after the first shooting. Several people were questioned about the killings, but the attackers were not caught.
What Happened After
The shootings were strongly criticized by many people. The head of the police, Sir Hugh Annesley, said that the IRA showed they had "nothing to offer but deaths and suffering" at a time when everyone was hoping for peace.
A church leader, Rev. Andrew Rodgers, asked the governments to stop talking to Sinn Féin, a political party linked to the IRA, and other groups involved in violence.
However, a former IRA member said that when he asked an IRA fighter in the area about the point of the Fivemiletown attack, the fighter replied, "The war must go on."
The attack in Fivemiletown was mentioned by MP Ken Maginnis and Prime Minister John Major in the House of Commons. This happened on December 15, 1993, just three days after the attack, when Prime Minister Major and Irish leader Albert Reynolds announced the Downing Street Declaration. This declaration was a key step in trying to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
See also
- Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1992–1999)
- List of Irish republican ambushes
- List of attacks on British aircraft during The Troubles
