As businesses in Omagh return to business as usual, following the controlled explosion by the bomb squad.

Temp SI Bobby Singleton says it could have killed or seriously injured one of the officers.

A number of businesses were evacuated after a suspicious object was found close to the Strule Arts Centre, but this morning's security alert has since been stood down.

It was the second time in just over a week that the town had been at the centre of a security threat.

Police were called out to a bomb alert last Friday in the same location, when a police recruitment event was taking place.

In a separate incident, a suspected explosive device has been thrown at a police patrol in east Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The object, which didn't go off, was hurled at officers in the republican Short Strand area on Friday night.

The incident came the day after a suspected undercar bomb was found on a street in north Belfast.

In another, unrelated incident, detectives are appealing for witnesses following an incident at a house in the Oldpark Road area of north Belfast during the early hours of this morning.

Shortly before 2am it was reported that an unknown male set a glass jar packed with fireworks and nails on fire beneath the window of a house that subsequently detonated.

No damage was caused to the house and no one was injured as a result of the incident.

The male, who is described as wearing a blue track top, jeans and a cap made off on foot in the direction of Torrens Avenue.

A motive for the incident has not yet been established and detectives are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with any information about the incident to contact them.