A pipe bomb has been found in the garden of a house in west Belfast.
Police confirmed the explosive at Dunmurry Lane was viable and removed it for further examination.
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[/raw]The security alert at Upper Dunmurry Lane has ended. A viable pipe bomb type device was made safe and taken for examination. Roads re-opened
— PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) March 9, 2016
It caused traffic chaos, the evacuation of local residents and closure of schools.
A string of security alerts and a bomb attack which injured a prison officer in East Belfast in recent days have been linked to dissident republicans.
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[/raw]A bomb alert at Upper Dunmurry lane underway. ATO at scene. Train services not affected. Area cordoned off. pic.twitter.com/w8GXskrQe2
— Sara Moore (@saramoore_utv) March 9, 2016
Police chiefs have warned the anti-peace process gunmen could ramp up their activities as the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising approaches.
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[/raw]Bomb scare in Dunmurry pic.twitter.com/GPI3I97PTq
— Hannah Murchan (@Tiddlesboots) March 9, 2016
Sinn Féin Stormont Assembly member Jennifer McCann said: "Local residents are rightfully angry at this incident and the people behind these recent spate of attacks have done nothing but brought hardship to local communities and need to stop this activity immediately."
She said schools had closed for the day, posing problems for families collecting children.
"The security alert in Dunmurry Lane has caused massive disruption including people having to be evacuated from their homes and traffic chaos in the area."
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Inspector James Murphy appealed to anyone with any information about the incident to contact the force.
"The security alert at Dunmurry Lane has ended. A suspicious object was examined and has been declared a viable pipe bomb type device.
"The device has been removed for further examination and roads have re-opened."
