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Over the last 11 months, Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH) has emerged as the most dangerous of the dissident republican groups.

The group is one of three - the others being the Continuity IRA (CIRA), which murdered PC Stephen Carroll in Armagh and the Real IRA (RIRA), which killed two soldiers at Masserene Barracks in Antrim.

However, a recent report into paramilitary violence in NI singled out ONH.

The report by the Independent Monitoring Commission said the group was responsible for 18 attacks on security forces in the six months from March to August this year.

It said: "Of the groups, the two factions of RIRA especially Óglaigh na hÉireann were by far the most active and dangerous."

The attempted murder of police Constable Peadar Heffron in January was one of the most high profile of the attacks carried out by ONH. The Catholic policeman had his right leg amputated four days after a bomb exploded under his car.

In August, the group said it was responsible for planting a 200lb bomb outside a police station in Londonderry while in October a car bomb exploded outside a shopping complex in the city.

It's understood that a number of defectors from the Provisional IRA are involved with ONH and have helped it to develop its bomb making techniques.