BY MICHELE CANNING SMITH
SINN FéIN is treating as 'serious' the threats to its councillors in Omagh and Strabane after a package, containing bullets and photographs, was left at a cemetery.
The package was one of two left in Tyrone, one at a cemetery in Newtownstewart, the other in Killyclogher. Both contained bullets and photographs of all of the Sinn Féin councillors who currently sit on Strabane and Omagh councils.
It is understood there was no other communication in the packages, which were picked up by a local priest, after he received two phonecalls instructing him to go to cemeteries in both districts.
It is not yet clear from where the threat emanates, with suggestions that it may be connected to the intense debate on policing raging within Republicanism.
It is understood that the priest had received a call from a man sometime last week advising him to go to the cemetery in Newtownstewart and another in Killyclogher to pick up something of interest.
Believing it to be a crank call, he decided against visiting the cemeteries, that is until he received a second call on Saturday night telling him to follow instructions as lives were in danger.
When the priest, accompanied by a friend, went to the cemeteries he discovered both packages.
Inside the package in Newtownstewart was a bullet and the photographs of all Sinn Fein councillors who sit on the local authority in Strabane.
In Killyclogher, again there was a bullet and pictures of all of the party's Omagh councillors.
The pictures were cut from a new publication launched in West Tyrone by Sinn Féin just a few months back, it is understood.
West Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff said threats against Republicans are nothing new. He himself had been informed a number of times that he was under a Loyalist death threat.
"Over the course of the past 30 years Sinn Féin elected representatives and members have long been targets of those within the British system and their surrogates.
"However, we have never allowed these campaigns to deflect us from our work in bringing about Irish unity and independence and this latest threat will only serve to strengthen our resolve.
"My personal opinion is that whoever did this was not serving Irish republicanism.
The MLA added, "This is obviously a sinister development but at this stage it is not clear where this threat emanates from.
He said it had been mooted by fellow Republicans that this may have been aimed at getting media attention, but that said, "we cannot take this threat lightly."
