§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation in County Armagh, with particular reference to the South Armagh area, during the first six months of 1976.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesDuring the first six months of 1976 County Armagh, and especially the southern part, was the scene of a number of violent incidents. These resulted in the deaths of 28 civilians and eight members of the security forces. More than half the civilian deaths occurred at the beginning of January, and on January 12th the county was designated a special emergency area. Security forces' activity was stepped up and force levels were augmented, notably 793W by the arrival of the reserve Spearhead battalion and a unit of the Special Air Services. Since that time the level of violence has been noticeably reduced.