POLITICIANS have condemned those behind a suspected car bomb outside a police station in Northern Ireland, saying such incidents belong in the past.
The PSNI said there was a security alert in the Kingsway area of Dunmurry on the outskirts of west Belfast in the early hours of this morning.
"Members of the public are asked to avoid the area," added a statement. "Cordons are in place and an evacuation operation is underway."
Nearby homes have been evacuated and images from the area show forensic teams at the scene.
The incident comes four weeks after a delivery driver was hijacked and forced to drive an explosive device to Lurgan Police Station.
'You will never win'
Speaking this morning, Sorcha Eastwood, the SDLP's Lagan Valley MP, said it was 'distressing and disturbing to wake up to the news that a car bomb exploded outside Dunmurry police station'.
"A busy area, a car bomb left outside residential housing, small businesses and any number of people out and about on a Saturday night working or socialising," she added.
"It is only through the grace of God that there are no casualties."
She added: "We cannot be complacent in taking peace for granted. But we must fight like hell against those who try to bring this violence back.
"Those who are engaged in these attacks are not representative of the community and are not wanted.
"The good and decent people of Northern Ireland, from right across all communities, rejected the bomb and the bullet in the past and will do so again.
"We are stronger than you and any evil you may seek to wreak across our community. You will never win."
Her words were echoed by Danny Baker, Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast.
"Those behind the bomb attack in Dunmurry have nothing to offer," he said.
"No one wants this, and they need to get off the backs of our communities. They have no mandate.
"We are close to 30 years of the Good Friday Agreement.
"Peace gave us hope; more work is needed, but those who long for violence must be rejected."
Bombs offer 'not a single shred of hope'
Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit MLA for West Belfast, said the explosion had caused 'confusion, uncertainty and fear' in the area.
"For all the deep and real problems that exist in our community, like poverty, inequality and state repression, planting car bombs to explode in a public place offers not a single shred of hope or positive change to people," he said.
"The people of West Belfast don't want car bombs in their area — nowhere does. This must end."
Unionist leaders have also condemned the attack, with the DUP's Gavin Robinson describing those involved as 'Neanderthals'.
"Only four weeks ago, Lurgan was the scene of another serious security incident," said the DUP leader and East Belfast MP.
"Whether this is reckless one-upmanship between dissident groupings or part of a wider pattern, the intent is the same.
"They want to drag Northern Ireland backwards and to undermine stability and confidence in the rule of law."
UUP leader Jon Burrows, MLA for North Antrim, said those involved are 'desperate, depraved and morally bankrupt gangsters — seeking to drag Northern Ireland back to darker days'.
"They will fail, just as their predecessors did," he added.
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