Homes evacuated in Armagh city alert

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A number of houses have been evacuated in Armagh due to a security alert, the police have said.

A suspicious object has been found at Naill's Crescent at its junction with Friary Road. Army bomb disposal experts are at the scene.

Sinn Fein assembly member Cathal Boylan said that the object was found at about 2130 GMT.

He condemned those behind the incident as showing a "complete disregard" for the safety of people in the area.

"Once again we have a situation where a suspected bomb has been placed in a residential area which has necessitated the evacuation of families from their homes in the middle of the night," he said.

Meanwhile, police have arrested two men aged 21 and 23 in the city.

The arrests were part of an operation against suspected dissident republican activity and were made by detectives from the Serious Crime Branch.

Sourced BBCi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8563540.stm