CIRA blamed for attack on man (20)

The attack, which left the 20-year-old man with serious leg injuries, took place close to his home in the Dublin suburb last week. Gardai believe the Continuity IRA may have been behind the attack.

He was previously assaulted last January, after which a spokesman claiming to be from the Continuity IRA contacted the Herald to claim responsibility.

The call was made on January 18 and the same message was relayed again two days later, when a man told the Herald that the Clondalkin man who was the victim had a week to leave the country or he would be killed.

The caller stated that the man had been subjected to a punishment beating in January by members of the CIRA Dublin brigade. It has now emerged that one of the named men was attacked again last weekend.

Detectives at Clondalkin garda station are investigating the incident. It is understood that the man was beaten.

The targeted man has previously been issued with security advice by gardai, who are treating the CIRA claims seriously.

The alleged CIRA spokesperson claimed to the Herald that both men were major heroin dealers and that's why they were being driven from the country.

This is the second time that the dissident group has called the Herald to warn a target that they must get out of Ireland.

In a call last June, a man claiming to be from the dissident group said a bomb had been left outside the home of an alleged Dublin drug dealer.

A "partially exploded" pipe bomb was subsequently discovered at the property in Finglas.

hnews@herald.ie