Lisburn van bombing
On 15 June 1988 an unmarked military van carrying six British Army soldiers was blown up by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) at Market Place in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The explosion took place at the end of a charity marathon run in which the soldiers had participated. All six soldiers were killed in the attack – four outright, one on his way to hospital and another later on in hospital.
| 1988 Lisburn van bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Troubles | |
Wreckage of the soldiers' van after the explosion | |
| Location | Market Place, Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°30′36.30″N 6°2′48.27″W |
| Date | 15 June 1988 20:59 (BST) |
Attack type | Bombing |
| Weapons | Bomb |
| Deaths | 6 off-duty British soldiers |
| Injured | 11 civilians |
| Perpetrator | Provisional Irish Republican Army Belfast Brigade |
Lisburn is the headquarters of the British Army in Northern Ireland. Four of the dead were from the Royal Corps of Signals regiment whilst the other two were from the Green Howards and Royal Army Ordnance Corps regiments respectively. A booby-trap bomb was hidden under the Ford Transit van in which the soldiers were travelling, and was designed in such a way that the blast went upwards to cause maximum damage to the vehicle. Eleven civilian bystanders were injured, including a two-year-old child and 80-year-old man.
The bombing is sometimes referred to as the Lisburn "Fun Run" bombing.