More shootings and bombings in Derry and Strabane last year than anywhere else in North

The Derry City and Strabane policing district accounted for 41% of all security-related shootings according to the latest police figures; more than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.The district also accounted for 60% of all bombing incidents in a 12-month period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022.

There were five bombing incidents in Northern Ireland during the past 12 months, the same amount as the previous year.

The statistics were published in the PSNI's quarterly security bulletin report.

The report states that shootings refer to "shots fired by terrorists, shots fired by the security forces, paramilitary-style attacks involving shootings and shots heard (and later confirmed by other sources)".

Of the 29 shooting incidents in the last 12 months, the highest number occurred in Derry City and Strabane, which saw 12 shootings. 

Belfast experienced seven shootings, Causeway Coast and Glens and Ards and North Down each experienced three shootings and four other policing districts each experienced one such incident.

Across the North, of the five bombing incidents that occured, three of them occurred in Derry City and Strabane this year, with two of these happening in November.

Belfast and Mid Ulster each experienced one bombing incident in the same period.

Bombing incidents include all incidents where a bombing device explodes or is defused. On November 17, 2022, an improvised explosive device caused a blast that caused damage to a police vehicle being used by two officers patrolling in the Mount Carmel area of Strabane.

On November 20, 2022, a suspicious object abandoned in a car outside Waterside police station was confirmed to have been a bomb.

The figures also showed that across the country there were fewer paramilitary-style attacks and shootings than the previous 12 months.

The PSNI said paramilitary style assaults are usually "carried out by Loyalist or Republican groups on members of their own community as a so-called punishment" and "will involve major or minor physical injury to the injured party typically involving a group of assailants armed with, for example, iron bars or baseball bats."

There were 25 casualties of paramilitary style assaults during the last 12 months compared to 37 during the previous 12 months. There were fewer paramilitary style assaults in the area than elsewhere. 

Ards and North Down experienced the greatest number of assaults with eight assaults, closely followed by Belfast which saw seven assaults.

There were also two paramilitary-style shootings – which usually result in the injured party "being shot in the knees, elbows, feet, ankles or thighs"  – in Derry and Strabane.

"The paramilitary style shooting in December 2022 was the first attack of this nature since June 2022,” the report added.