Óglaigh na hÉireann (CIRA splinter group)
| Continuity Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann) |
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|---|---|
| Participant in the Troubles and the dissident Irish republican campaign | |
CIRA propaganda video
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| Active | 1994–present |
| Ideology | |
| Leaders | Irish Continuity Army Council |
| Area of operations | Northern Ireland (mainly); Republic of Ireland |
| Strength | about 50 (as of July 2012) |
| Originated as | Provisional Irish Republican Army |
| Allies | Real Irish Republican Army |
| Opponents | |
The Continuity Irish Republican Army, usually known as the Continuity IRA (CIRA) is an Irish republican paramilitary group that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Provisional IRA in 1986 but did not become active until the Provisional IRA ceasefire of 1994. It is an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland and is designated a terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States. It has links with the political party Republican Sinn Féin (RSF).
Like the Provisional IRA before it, the CIRA sees itself as the direct continuation of the original Irish Republican Army and styles itself as simply "the Irish Republican Army" in English or Óglaigh na hÉireann (Volunteers of Ireland) in Irish. It sees itself as the national army of an Irish Republic covering the whole of Ireland. The security forces initially referred to it as the "Irish National Republican Army" (INRA).
Since 1994, the CIRA has waged a campaign in Northern Ireland against the British Army and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). This is part of a wider campaign against the British security forces by dissident republican paramilitaries. It has targeted the security forces in gun attacks and bombings, as well as with grenades, mortars and rockets. The CIRA has also carried out bombings with the goal of causing economic harm and/or disruption, as well as many punishment attacks on alleged criminals.
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Wikipedia