Police probe pipe bomb explosion in the village of Bessbrook

DETECTIVES are investigating after a pipe bomb exploded in County Armagh.

The PSNI said officers received a report around midnight on Friday that the bomb had exploded after being thrown at a van outside a house in Ardaveen Park, Bessbrook.

Minor damage was caused to the van but there were no reports of injuries.

Army bomb experts attended the scene of the explosion and took away the remnants of the device.

Detectives are investigating a motive for the attack however, it is not thought to be terrorist-related.

SDLP assembly member Dominic Bradley said he did not know what those responsible were trying to achieve.

“I condemn those responsible for the detonation of this pipe bomb at Ardaveen, a quiet residential area, last night,” he said.

“In doing this they showed scant regard for life and had the circumstances been different, someone could have been killed or seriously injured by this device.”