The British government will hold an independent statutory inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing, the Northern Ireland secretary has announced.
Chris Heaton-Harris told the House of Commons on Thursday that he intended to establish an inquiry into the atrocity that claimed 29 lives and injured 220 people on 15 August 1998, four months after the Good Friday agreement.
The announcement followed a high court judge’s recommendation in 2021 that the government should carry out a human rights-compliant investigation into alleged security failings in the buildup to the bombing in the County Tyrone market town.
Mr Justice Horner found that security forces had a “real prospect” of preventing the attack by the Real IRA, a republican dissident group.
“The Omagh bomb was a horrific terrorist atrocity committed by the Real IRA which caused untold damage to the families of those who were tragically killed and injured. Its impact was felt not just in Northern Ireland, but across the world,” Heaton-Harris said.
“Having carefully considered the judgment of the high court, I believe that an independent statutory inquiry is the most appropriate form of further investigation to address the grounds identified by the court.”
He thanked survivors and relatives for their patience.
More details soon …
