Semtex, mortar found in dissident republican searches

The searches followed a police operation in south Armagh

Semtex explosives and a horizontal mortar were among weapons found during searches targeting dissident republicans over the Easter weekend.

Police have released more details about what was found during the searches in south Armagh and east Tyrone.

Also found were 25 kilos of home made explosives, an automatic weapon, a silencer, ammunition, three timer power units, booster tubes and a detonator.

The searches followed the arrest of three men in Keady on Good Friday.

The men were subsequently charged after a number of weapons - including machine guns and rifles - were found in a car they were travelling in.

They have not been charged in connection with the other weapons found in the follow-up searches.

The horizontal mortar found in the later searches contained more than half a kilo of Semtex.

There have been a number of significant arms finds by the PSNI since dissident republicans murdered Constable Ronan Kerr in Omagh on 2 April.

Days after the murder rifles, detonators, component parts for rocket launchers and explosives were found in the Coalisland area of County Tyrone.