British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday morning condemned the killing of two soldiers in Northern Ireland, pledging that the killers will be "brought to justice."
"The whole country is shocked and outraged at the evil and cowardly attacks on British soldiers who are serving the country and on civilians who are going about ordinary duty," he said, according to Sky TV.
The prime minister added that security in Northern Ireland has always been the country's first priority. "We will do everything in our power to make sure that Northern Ireland is safe and secure and I'll assure you we will bring these murderers to justice."
"No murderer will be able to derail a peace process that has the support of the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland. We'll step up our efforts to make the peace process one that last and endure," Brown noted.
Two soldiers were shot dead and four others injured on Saturday night outside the Masserreene Barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland after gunmen carrying automatic weapons opened fired.
No organization has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The attack took place shortly after Hugh Orde, the Northern Ireland Chief Constable, said undercover soldiers had been rallied to carry out surveillance operations on dissidents following threats against army officers and military personnel reached highest level in ten years.
The soldiers are the first to be killed in Northern Ireland for 12 years. The incident was deemed by police as "a defining moment in the history of Northern Ireland" as a devolution government resumed functioning to bring Northern Ireland onto the tracks of peace and reconstruction.
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2009)