The Police Service of Northern Ireland has seized a quantity of ammunition and pipe bombs in Belfast.

Police believe the weapons are linked to the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) - which claims to have decommissioned its arms in 2010.

The seizure was made at a house in Conway Street in West Belfast today. The street was closed to traffic this afternoon and a number of homes were evacuated.

The items have now been removed from the property for further examination and residents have been allowed to return to their homes.

The INLA declared a ceasefire in 1998 but has been suspected of involvement in violent crime in the time since.

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Pete Mullan said: “The search, which was part of an ongoing investigation into organised criminality associated to INLA by detectives from PSNI’s Reactive and Organised Crime Branch, uncovered 5 pipe bombs and a quantity of ammunition. 

“These are for one purpose only - to kill and injure people,” he said. “Today’s operation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to keep people safe in our communities.”