Former Continuity IRA Tommy Crossan murder: 26-year-old man arrested

Tommy Crossan was approaching his car when he was attacked

Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a 26-year-old man over the murder of former dissident republican leader Tommy Crossan.

Mr Crossan, 43, was shot dead at a fuel depot off Springfield Road in west Belfast.

The killing of the former senior member of the Continuity IRA was condemned by Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers.

The suspect was arrested in west Belfast.

Mr Crossan was killed just after 17:00 BST on Friday, in view of surrounding houses.

It is believed he had been expelled from the Continuity IRA (CIRA) some years ago after falling out with other dissidents.

The arrested man is being questioned at a police station in Antrim.

First Minister Peter Robinson warned that murder "can never be justified in any circumstances" and urged those with information to come forward.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the murder would be opposed and rejected by "all right-thinking people across the community".

'Shameful situation'

The Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, said people in Northern Ireland had hoped the "days of death and murder on our streets" were in the past.

"Especially at Eastertide when the city is getting ready for Easter holidays and also the Easter anniversary commemorations. And also on the anniversary of course of the Good Friday agreement - on the 16th anniversary," he said.

"It's a shameful situation that thugs and criminals can bring death to our streets"

For many year the CIRA was a very small and largely inactive group. It has its origins in 1986 in a split in the IRA which centred around opposition to republican candidates taking seats in the Irish Republic's parliament.

It announced its reappearance in 1996 when it destroyed a hotel in County Fermanagh with a bomb thought to contain more than 1,200lbs of explosives.

It is believed most of its members are concentrated in Counties Fermanagh and Armagh.

It claimed responsibility for the murder of police officer Stephen Carroll in March 2009.

Recently the Continuity IRA is believed to have split between those on the traditional wing - mainly members in the Irish Republic - and a younger faction based mainly in Northern Ireland.

Source http://bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-27086581