A bitter war of words erupted last night (Tuesday) as unionists accused Sinn Féin of providing political 'cover' for a dissident republican bomb attack in Enniskillen.
The Continuity IRA yesterday admitted responsibility for planting a bomb at Enniskillen Town Hall on Monday night.
Six police officers suffered minor injuries when the device exploded as they were evacuating the area around the town hall shortly after 7pm.
Councillors had been due to hold a meeting in the hall when the attack took place.
Enniskillen was the scene of one of the worst atrocities of the troubles in 1987 when an IRA bomb killed 11 people and injured 63 others during a Remembrance Day ceremony at the town's cenotaph.
A war of words has broken out over Sinn Féin's condemnation of Monday night's attack.
While Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew condemned the dissident bombing, she also claimed that the attack may have been
a reaction to an increased British army presence in Co Fermanagh.
"Those who carried it out are opposed to the peace process and opposed to the Good Friday Agreement," the Fermanagh/
South Tyrone MP said.
"They do not have a strategy to achieve political change or deliver a united Ireland.
"Sinn Féin have consistently called upon these micro-groups to end this sort of activity and disband."
But Ms Gildernew added: "We have a huge level of military activity in Fermanagh and Tyrone now and you can't drive through towns like Aughnacloy or Lisnaskea without seeing British army personnel on the ground.
"All they're doing (the security forces) is provoking these kind of attacks."
Ulster Unionist councillor
Tom Elliott last night accused Ms Gildernew of providing political 'cover' for dissident republicans.
"The army didn't plant and detonate the bomb," Mr Elliott said.
"The army didn't attempt to kill or maim innocent people.
"The people Michelle Gildernew tried to make excuses for were responsible.
"It's clear that not only does she provide cover for her
associates in the Provisional IRA but she is now determined to include so-called dissident republicans in her checklist of excuses.
"There was no condemnation, no apology, just the usual republican claptrap which
only the diehard rump in her organisation believe.
"To all the rest of us, it was sickening and appalling."
Enniskillen council chairman Gerry Gallagher condemned those responsible for the attack.
"I am absolutely disgusted that the people of Fermanagh and in particular, the people
of Enniskillen, should be made to suffer yet another mindless act of terrorism," the SDLP councillor said.
"I thank God that no-one was injured.
"The individuals who left the bomb at the town hall had absolutely no regard or concern for human life."
A senior Church of Ireland clergyman pleaded for an end to the violence.
The Bishop of Clogher, the Rev Michael Jackson, said: "The phrase 'Enniskillen bomb' still sends shockwaves of pain and fear through our society.
"Those of us who remember that terrible human tragedy had hoped never again to hear the two words used together."
Meanwhile, a Northern Ireland Office spokeswoman last night moved to clarify a statement from Security Minister Jane Kennedy in which she incorrectly told MPs that a
second warning had been received about a bomb in Omagh on Monday night.
The spokeswoman said that, acting on information relayed to her, Mrs Kennedy had told MPs that a warning had been rec-eived about a device in Omagh, when it later transpired that a call had been received in Omagh warning about the bomb in Enniskillen town centre.
