Independent Inquiry Begins on 1998 Omagh Bombing Prevention

An independent inquiry on the 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland has commenced its first hearing. The attack killed 29 people and wounded over 200. The inquiry will assess if the bombing could have been prevented. In 2021, Britain's High Court indicated that such arguments are plausible.

An independent inquiry into whether the deaths of 29 people in Omagh in 1998 could have been prevented held its first hearing on Tuesday. The Omagh bombing on Aug. 15, 1998, saw Irish nationalist militants opposed to the Good Friday peace deal detonate a car bomb on a busy shopping street in the Northern Irish town.

Twenty-nine people, including a pregnant woman with twins, were killed, and more than 200 were wounded. Britain's High Court ruled in 2021 that plausible arguments exist suggesting the Real IRA bombing could have been prevented.

The inquiry's chairman, Alan Turnbull, acknowledged the enduring trauma and emphasized the inquiry's rigorous and fearless approach. Tuesday's session was procedural, with witnesses and evidence expected next year. The inquiry will investigate intelligence handling, mobile phone analysis, possible foreknowledge of the attack, and potential disruption operations.

(With inputs from agencies.)