Brit soldier opens fire on motorist

A British soldier opened fire on a motorist in South Armagh in the early hours of Saturday morning 11 December. In the incident, which occurred just south of Crossmaglen, the British soldier fired two shots at a car.

Amid claims from the British Army that they are investigating the shooting, local Sinn Féin Assembly member Conor Murphy has called for the British Army to be withdrawn, as "they are not wanted in South Armagh".

The British Army claim that the car burst through a joint army/PSNI checkpoint and that the British soldier then opened fire. However, the British Army have yet to disclose the full details of the incident. Nor will they say whether the shots were fired directly at the vehicle or into the air.

Murphy expressed doubt over the recent spate of claims being made by the crown forces that cars in South Armagh are smashing through crown forces' checkpoints.

In the last two months the PSNI have reported four incidents involving vehicles speeding through checkpoints near Crossmaglen.

"Indications would suggest this was some sort of road traffic incident and yet the British army respond by firing live rounds. It is completely unacceptable," he said. "It also seems strange that there have been more of these incidents reported in the last three months than in the previous ten years.

"There is a feeling locally that many of these stories about British soldiers diving into hedges or receiving injuries from passing cars are fantasy and part of a very clear agenda to justify the continuing presence of the British military in South Armagh."

There were no injuries or arrests in the incident and a British Army spokeperson said the soldier responsible for firing the shots had not been suspended.