Four males held over killing of N.Ireland journalist: police

AFP  |  London 

Four males were arrested under laws on Thursday in connection with the killing of in last month, force said.

McKee, 29, was shot in the head during a riot in the second largest city in the British province on 18 April.

The act of has since been claimed by dissident republican group the New IRA.

"Detectives carried out searches at four houses in the city and arrested four people in connection with the which was orchestrated on the streets of Creggan on the evening of Lyra McKee's murder," said of

The four arrested, aged 15, 18, 38 and 51, are being held and questioned in Belfast, police added.

The New IRA has apologised over the killing, saying was unintentionally shot as its forces targeted a night-time police raid.

A splinter dissident faction, the New IRA seeks the integration of British-ruled with -- rejecting non-violent political campaigns to achieve unity.

established her career writing about so-called "ceasefire babies" -- the generation that came of age after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the conflict known as "The

Troubles".

Her killing evoked memories of those three decades of in the province and sparked condemnation across the political spectrum, including in the neighbouring Republic of Ireland.

Three people -- two men aged 18 and 19 and a 57-year-old woman -- so far arrested by in connection with McKee's killing were all released without charge.

Her death follows a recent spate of letter bombings and a car bombing, without fatalities, also claimed by the New IRA.

The tempo of fresh attacks has fuelled fears that the political turbulence over Brexit -- which threatens new border checkpoints on the Irish border -- may increase paramilitary activity.

McKee's death has prompted a fresh round of negotiations at Stormont, Northern Ireland's devolved government, which has been suspended in political deadlock since January 2017.

"Lyra symbolised the new and her tragic death cannot be in vain," said British Karen Bradley, announcing the talks last month.

The talks began on Tuesday, with parties promising to negotiate in good faith.

McKee's killing also sparked a community backlash against fringe republican paramilitary groups, which regard as a historic stronghold.

Murals glorifying the armed republican campaign which wound down after the 1998 peace accord were defaced.

Meanwhile, friends of the murdered painted blood-red handprints on the headquarters of a political group regarded as the mouthpiece of the New IRA.

However, signs appeared last week in the area where McKee was killed warning: "Informers will be shot".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, May 09 2019. 17:51 IST