Two men arrested by gardaí as part of a cross-Border antiterrorism operation are due in court in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
The men, in their 30s and 40s, are suspected of being members of a violent fringe far-right organisation intent on attacking people from a minority group, gardaí believe.
A vehicle in which the men were travelling was stopped and searched by gardaí in Abbeyleix, Co Laois, on Wednesday. Pipe ends and sealant, a bulletproof vest, cable ties, hatchets, knives and a Tricolour were discovered.
The Garda operation was carried out by the Special Detective Unit (SDU), which investigates terrorism and other threats to the State.
READ MORE
Separately, in the North, four explosive devices were discovered at a property in the village of Annalong, Co Down. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) also seized items such as laptops, which are to be examined, and confirmed the searches were carried out under the Terrorism Act.
In recent years, gardaí have carried out significant operations investigating far-right activists and have treated some of their crimes, including threats to politicians, as national security issues.
