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Security Operations (Casualties)

Volume 927: debated on Wednesday 9 March 1977

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asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many members of the security forces have been murdered by the Provisional IRA so far in 1977; and how many Provisional IRA terrorists were killed by the security forces in the same period;(2) how many members of the security forces were murdered by the Provisional IRA in 1976; and how many Provisional IRA terrorists were killed by the security forces in the same year.

11 members of the security forces were murdered in the period from 1st January to 28th February 1977; the total for the whole of 1976 was 52. It can be assumed that most of these murders were committed by members of the Provisional IRA. Whether an individual who has been killed is a member of a terrorist grouping cannot always be accurately assessed. There are consequently no reliable figures for the number of Provisional IRA terrorists killed by the security forces. 934 persons were convicted of scheduled offences in 1976.