'Dissidents' held over attack

Arrests were made by Irish police

Police in the Irish Republic have arrested four dissident republican suspects after an attempt was made to burn down a house in County Cork.

It is understood that the arrests were made at Little Island - a suburb of Cork city - just after midnight on Tuesday.

A van packed with containers of petrol was driven to a house in the area and set alight.

A number of houses in the area were evacuated and one was slightly damaged.

The four men, who are in their late teens and early 20s, are thought to be connected to the Real IRA.

They can be questioned for 72 hours under the Offences Against the State Act.

Police in County Cork are involved in an 18-month ongoing operation against suspected dissident republicans.

They say they have yet to establish a motive for the attempted attack, but the owner of the house, the intended target, is known to them.