Since the beginning of its campaign in 1970, the Provisional IRA had carried out many improvised landmine and roadside bomb attacks on British forces in the region. In September 1972, three British soldiers were killed when their armoured vehicle was blown up by an IRA land mine at Sanaghanroe, near Dungannon.[2] In March 1974, two IRA members were killed on the Aughnacloy Road near Dungannon when the landmine they were planting exploded prematurely.[3]
On 27 August 1979, the IRA killed 18 British soldiers with roadside bombs in the Warrenpoint ambush in south County Down; the deadliest attack on British troops during the conflict.[4]
Attack
On 16 December 1979, two armoured British Army Land Rovers were driving along Ballygawley Road, about two miles outside Dungannon.[5] A unit of the IRA had planted a 600–1,000-pound (270–450 kg)[6] improvised landmine in a culvert under the road at Glenadush.[5] When the second vehicle reached the culvert,[5] the landmine was detonated by remote control.[6] It blew the vehicle into the air and killed four soldiers outright: William Beck (23), Keith Richards (22), Simon Evans (19) and Allan Ayrton (23).[5]
^ abcdMcKittrick, David (2001). Lost Lives: The Stories of the Men, Women and Children who Died as a Result of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Random House. pp. 809–810.
