Dissident republicans: Why Northern Ireland police are still a target

The February shooting of Det Ch Insp John Caldwell in Omagh, County Tyrone was a reminder of the threat still faced by police officers in Northern Ireland. During almost 30 years of violence known as the Troubles, 302 police officers were killed.

Since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 ended the worst of the violence, the threat faced by the police and other security services has decreased dramatically. But two police officers and two prison officers have been killed by dissident republicans since then, and there have been many other attempts at murder.