Police investigating the attempted murder of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell last week have made two arrests. A 33-year-old man was apprehended in Omagh and a 57-year-old man was detained in Belfast, both under the Terrorism Act. The two men have been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for further questioning.
Mr Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition following the shooting in the car park of a sports complex in Omagh on 22 February. Two other men, aged 47 and 71, who were arrested in connection with the attempted murder remain in custody, with officers being granted extra time to question them. Four other men were released on Tuesday evening.
The dissident republican group the New IRA has admitted responsibility for the shooting, which occurred as Mr Caldwell attended a youth sports event. His son was among the children present at the time and at least two other vehicles were hit by bullets, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
On Monday, police released CCTV footage of the car believed to be used by the gunmen. It was a blue Ford Fiesta that had been bought in Ballyclare two weeks prior to the attack and stored in Belfast, where its plates were changed. The car was then spotted on the M1 driving towards the Coalisland and Omagh direction, the day before the shooting. It was later found burnt out on the Racolpa Road outside Omagh.
The PSNI have also announced a reward of up to £20,000 for any information leading to an arrest, offered by the Crimestoppers charity. The New IRA claimed responsibility in a typed statement that was taped to a wall beside shops in the Creggan estate on Sunday night. A forensic team was at the scene on Monday morning and removed it for further examination.
