Colombians puzzled by IRA 'bomb theory'

'Super-bomb' theory discounted by Colombians

By Jeremy McDermott in Colombia

Colombian security sources are perplexed about reports coming from Northern Ireland that the three arrested IRA men were about to gain information on a super-bomb fired from a mortar.

Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley were arrested at Bogota Airport as they came from the safe haven of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the country's most powerful guerrilla army.

Farc use mortars made from gas cylinders

Traces of explosives were found on their clothing and luggage, but nothing out of the ordinary that would indicate the building of some unknown explosive device, said a Colombian security source.

The Farc do use home-made mortars on a large scale, launching them at isolated police stations across the country.

They are constructed from gas cylinders found in many Colombian kitchens for cooking purposes.

The Farc themselves have admitted the home-made mortars are rudimentary, and often cause more civilian than military casualties.

The Colombian security source said evidence received on IRA explosive devices and mortars showed that the Irish were infinitely more sophisticated than the Farc, and would seem to have little to learn from the Colombian guerrillas.