Some sad news tonight from my part of the world.
Two die in 'barbaric' Army attack
Two military personnel have been shot dead during a gun attack at an Army base in County Antrim, police said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said two further military personnel and two civilians, all believed to be male, were were in a serious condition.
The incident took place at the Massereene Army base in Antrim, 16 miles north of Belfast, at 2140 GMT.
Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward condemned the shootings as "an act of criminal barbarism".
He added: "My thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured in this murderous attack.
"The contrast between those who serve the community and those who would destroy it could not be clearer. The people who did this will be pursued and they will never stop the political process in Northern Ireland."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence described the incident as a "drive-by" shooting.
'Loud bangs'
The four injured men have all been taken to Antrim Area Hospital, about a mile away from the scene.
It is believed that there were two long busts of gunfire during the incident.
A major security operation is under way and the area surrounding the barracks, which is home to 38 Engineering Regiment, has been sealed off.
Eyewitness reports have suggested that the attackers approached the barracks in a pizza delivery van, and the victims walked into the ambush believing a fast food delivery was arriving.
One witness who lives near the base told the BBC how he looked to the sky after hearing what he thought were fireworks.
He added: "Then I heard a lot of loud bangs again, only it was a lot more than there was initially - maybe between 10 and 20.
"Then the siren at the Army barracks went off. Then all you heard was the police sirens and ambulances and there was at least six ambulances.
"There was definitely six of the ambulances and God knows how many police cars - they just came out of the police station one after the other."
In a statement, Downing Street said everything possible would be done to ensure those responsible would be brought to justice.
"This is a terrible incident that we utterly condemn and the prime minister's thoughts, first and foremost, are with the families of those killed and with those seriously injured in this attack," it continued.
Northern Ireland's First Minister and Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter Robinson offered his sympathies to the families of the victims, and said he would postpone a scheduled trip to the United States.
Mr Robinson said the attack was "terrible reminder of the events of the past".
He added: "These murders were a futile act by those who command no public support and have no prospect of success in their campaign. It will not succeed."
Ian Paisley Jnr, a DUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Policing Board, said the shooting could prove to be a defining moment in Northern Ireland's history.
He said: "For the last 10 years, people believed things like this happened in foreign countries, places like Basra. Unfortunately it has returned to our doorstep."
The leader of the nationalist SDLP, Mark Durkan, condemned the "murderous" attacks.
"Those who committed it are steeped in the mindset and means of past violence," he added.
"They need to understand this is not an attack on British army but the Irish people who have voted for and value above all else peaceful politics and democratic accommodation."
David Ford, the leader of the Alliance Party, said it was "inconceivable" that the attack could have been carried out by anyone other than dissident republicans.
"The important thing is that we must not see politics and the peace settlement that we have, fragile though it is, destabilised by this kind of action," he added.
No-one has so far claimed responsibility.
The attack comes shortly after Sir Hugh Orde, the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, requested the Special Reconnaissance Regiment's help to gather intelligence on dissident republicans.
Mr Robinson said the Massereene attack vindicated his decision, which had been criticised by Sinn Fein.
In 2008, dissident republicans attempted to kill PSNI officers during separate incidents in Derry City and Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
Security forces defused a 300lb (136kg) bomb in Castlewellan, Co Down, close to a barracks in February 2009.
Sadly we thought that incidents like this belonged to the past. There had been indications that dissident republicans were planning to attack army or police personnel. The PSNI's Chief Constable revealed just a few days ago that in response to this intelligence he had requested the deployment of Army Special Forces, he was widely condemned for this by Sinn Fein but sadly we now know why he took this step. It's still not clear what happened, there are stories that the pizza delivery van involved in this may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, that may explain the 2 civilians who were seriously wounded. My thoughts go out to the families of those who died and to the wounded for a full recovery. There are going to be some major political repercussions from this but this is not the time for knee jerk reactions.
UPDATE: The police have confirmed that two of the injured are in fact the pizza delivery men. It seems that 2 separate delivery orders were phoned through to the local branch of Dominos. When the guards opened the gates to them, the gunmen fired on them.
