Warning made yesterday | Sinn Fein statement | Comment

Two soldiers killed in a brutal attack on Army barracks in Ulster yesterday were shot dead at close range as they lay injured on the ground, police said today.

Four others were injured in the attack at the Massereene Barracks, outside Antrim, which has been blamed on dissident republicans.

The dead soldiers, aged in their early twenties, were dressed in desert fatigues and were due to fly out of RAF Aldergrove, just a few miles away from their base, in the early hours of today.

Two pizza delivery men – one of whom is Polish – were also injured in the attack, which took place at 9.40pm yesterday, 20 minutes after troops from the barracks of 38 Engineer Regiment, 16 miles outside of Belfast, ordered from Domino's.

At least two gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on the group. They fired one burst, then walked forward and shot the victims as they lay on the ground. As well as the pizza delivery men, two other soldiers were injured in the attack. One of the injured is critical, two are serious and one is serious but stable.

Chief Superintendent Derek Williamson said: “I have no doubt in my mind this was an attempt at mass murder.”

The gunmen were obviously aware that soldiers at the barracks followed a regular routine on Saturday nights when as many as 20 separate orders were made for pizza to be delivered.

They waited until the troops, all dressed in desert fatigues, emerged through the gates to pick up the food and opened fire.

Mr Williamson said Domino's Pizza in Antrim had received two separate delivery orders from the base at around 9.20pm. The orders were sent out separately and the two delivery men arrived one after the other.

“Last night two very young men lost their lives in a very callous and a very ruthless attack by terrorists who have no thought and had no thought last night for anyone who was in the vicinity.

“Indeed the attack took place at a time when two other young men, two civilians, who were delivering pizzas to the Massereene Barracks stopped, and it is clear from what we know at this stage that the terrorists not only wanted to kill soldiers who were there last night, but also to try to kill those two pizza delivery men."

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