Police shoot dead republican

ONE MAN was shot dead and five others arrested last night as police foiled a security van raid by a group of dissident Irish republicans.

The shooting happened 25 miles from Dublin, on the main road to Rosslare, and followed a police surveillance operation.

Armed officers moved in as the gang set up a road block in a bid to hold up a Securicor van transporting cash from Ashford, Co Wicklow, to Dublin. In a shoot out that followed one of the raiders was shot and police detained five suspects.

Police said the dead man, aged in his 20s and from Dublin, and all of those detained under the terms of Irish anti-terrorist legislation, were known members of the dissident organisation.