List of Provisional IRA ambushes

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This is a list of ambushes carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; latterly IRA without "Provisional") during the Troubles. Most targeted "Crown Forces" within Northern Ireland.

Ambush	Date	Target	IRA strength	Government strength	IRA losses	Government losses
Dungiven landmine and gun attack	24 June 1972	British Army	1 ASU	1 Army Convoy	None	3 British soldiers killed 7 wounded 1 vehicle destroyed 1 vehicle damaged
Drummuckavall ambush	22 November 1975	British Army	12 volunteers	1 infantry section	None	3 British soldiers killed 1 wounded
Garryhinch ambush	16 October 1976	Garda Síochána			None	1 Garda killed 4 wounded
1978 Crossmaglen ambush	21 December 1978	British Army	4–5 volunteers 1 technical	8 soldiers	None	3 British soldiers killed
Warrenpoint ambush	27 August 1979	British Army	1 active service unit (ASU)	50 soldiers	None	18 British soldiers killed 1 vehicle destroyed 1 British Army Wessex helicopter damaged
Dungannon land mine attack	16 December 1979	British Army	1 ASU	1 mobile patrol	None	4 British soldiers killed 1 vehicle destroyed
Glasdrumman ambush	17 July 1981	British Army	~7 volunteers	18 soldiers	None	1 British soldier killed 1 wounded
1989 Jonesborough ambush	20 March 1989	Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC)	6 volunteers	2 constables (Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan)	None	Breen and Buchanan were both killed
Operation Conservation	6 May 1990	British Army	1 ASU	1 Infantry section	None	1 British soldier killed
1990 Lough Neagh ambush	10 November 1990	RUC	1 ASU	2 constables (Thomas Taylor and David Murphy) Later joined by 1 former Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) soldier (Norman Kendall) and 1 civilian (Keith Dowey)	None	4 killed
Mullacreevie ambush	1 March 1991	British Army (UDR)	1 ASU	1 mobile patrol	None	2 British soldiers killed 2 wounded 1 vehicle destroyed
1992 Cappagh ambush	12 May 1992	British Army	1 ASU	British Army foot patrol	None	1 British soldier lost his legs
1993 Fivemiletown ambush	12 December 1993	RUC British Army	2 ASUs	1 mobile patrol 1 helicopter (follow-up operation)	None	2 constables killed 1 vehicle disabled 1 British Army Lynx helicopter fired at in the follow-up operation
Killeeshil ambush	15 July 1994	RUC	1 ASU 1 technical	1 mobile patrol	None	3 constables wounded 2 civilians wounded 1 vehicle disabled

References

Melaugh, Martin. "Cain: Chronology of the Conflict 1992". Conflict Archive on the Internet. Retrieved 21 February 2022.

Provisional Irish Republican Army

General

Organisation

Actions

1970–1979	Battle of St Matthew's Falls Curfew 1970 Crossmaglen bombing Scottish soldiers' killings Red Lion bombing Balmoral showroom bombing Abercorn bombing Donegall Street bombing Battle at Springmartin Battle of Lenadoon Bloody Friday Claudy bombing Newry customs bombing Old Bailey bombing Honey Trap killings King's Cross & Euston bombings Coleraine bombings 1973 Westminster bombing M62 bombing Clogher attack Houses of Parliament bombing Tower of London bombing Guildford pub bombings Harrow School bombing Brooks's Club bombing Woolwich pub bombing British Airways bombing attempt Birmingham pub bombings London pillar box bombings Talbot Arms bombing Bristol bombing Telephone exchange bombings 1974 Oxford Street bombing Carlton Tower & Portman Hotel shootings Mountainview attack Bayardo Bar attack Forkhill attack Caterham Arms bombing Tullyvallen massacre London Hilton bombing Piccadilly bombing Trattoria Fiore bombing Scott's Oyster Bar bombing Walton's Restaurant bombing Drummuckavall ambush Balcombe Street siege Kingsmill massacre West Ham station attack Olympia bombing Store bar shooting Stag Inn attack Garryhinch ambush Jonesborough Gazelle downing La Mon restaurant bombing Crossmaglen ambush Warrenpoint ambush Brussels bombing Dungannon attack
1980–1989	Dunmurry train bombing Lough Foyle attacks Glasdrumman ambush 1981 Bessbrook attack Chelsea Barracks bombing Hyde Park & Regent's Park bombings Harrods bombing Royal Artillery Barracks bombing Brighton hotel bombing Ballygawley land mine attack Newry mortar attack Ballygawley attack Enniskillen mortar attack RUC Birches barracks attack Rheindahlen bombing Loughgall ambush Operation Flavius Corporals killings Lisburn bombing Aughanduff Lynx shootdown 1988 Netherlands attacks Glamorgan barracks bombing Inglis Barracks bombing Ballygawley bus bombing Jonesborough ambush Clive Barracks bombing Deal barracks bombing Mayobridge attack Derryard attack
1990–1991	Derrygorry Gazelle downing South Armagh sniper Downpatrick roadside bomb Operation Conservation 1990 Wembley bombing Carlton Club bombing London Stock Exchange bombing Honourable Artillery Company bombing Lichfield gun attack RFA Fort Victoria bombing Proxy bombings Downing Street mortar attack Paddington & Victoria station bombings Mullacreevie ambush Glenanne barracks bombing Coagh ambush Musgrave Park Hospital bombing Crumlin Road Prison bombing
1992–1997	Teebane bombing Clonoe ambush London Bridge bombing Staples Cnr bombing Baltic Exchange bombing Sussex Arms bombing Cloghoge attack Coalisland riots Forensic Science Laboratory bombing Stoke Newington Road bomb 1992 Manchester bombing Night of the Long Knives 1993 Harrods bombing Warrington bombings Cullaville occupation Camden bombing Bishopsgate bombing Finchley Road bombings Battle of Newry Road Shankill Road bombing 1993 Fivemiletown ambush Heathrow attacks Crossmaglen Lynx downing Drumcree conflict Docklands bombing Aldwych bus bombing 1996 Manchester bombing Hammersmith Bridge bombing Osnabrück mortar attack Thiepval barracks bombing Coalisland attack 1997 Northern Ireland riots

Personalities
(Volunteers)

Espionage and
Supergrasses

Eamon Collins
Denis Donaldson
Joseph Fenton
Kevin Fulton
Raymond Gilmour
Martin McGartland
Sean O'Callaghan
Freddie Scappaticci (allegedly "Stakeknife")

Associates

Derivatives

Prominent
killings

v t e Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)
General	Genealogy Irish Volunteers Irish Citizen Army Easter Rising Sinn Féin Declaration of Independence Irish Republic Dáil Éireann (First Dáil & Second Dáil) Irish Bulletin Irish War of Independence Flying column Government of Ireland Act 1920 Partition of Ireland (Northern Ireland & Southern Ireland) Anglo-Irish Treaty Irish Civil War Irish Free State
Organisation	Brigades of the Irish Republican Army Irish Republican Police The Squad
Actions	Soloheadbeg ambush Rescue at Knocklong Listowel mutiny Rineen ambush Tooreen ambush Battle of Ballinalee Dublin Bloody Sunday Kilmichael ambush Clonfin ambush Dromkeen ambush Upton train ambush Clonmult ambush Coolavokig ambush Sheemore ambush Clonbanin ambush Selton Hill ambush Burgery ambush Crossbarry ambush Headford ambush Scramoge ambush Kilmeena ambush Custom House burning Carrowkennedy ambush Rathcoole ambush Coolacrease killings Belfast Bloody Sunday
Chiefs of Staff	Cathal Brugha (1917–1918) Richard Mulcahy (1918–1922) Eoin O'Duffy (1922)
Personalities	Michael Collins J. J. "Ginger" O'Connell Terence MacSwiney Emmet Dalton Dick McKee Paddy Daly Piaras Béaslaí Erskine Childers Liam Mellows Joe McKelvey Michael Brennan Frank Aiken Gearóid O'Sullivan Tom Maguire Seán Lemass Seán Mac Mahon Stephen Behan Andrew Cooney Seán Treacy Dan Breen Seán Hogan Séumas Robinson Tom Barry Seán Mac Eoin Charlie Hurley Seán O'Hegarty Seán Moylan Tom McEllistrim George Oliver Plunkett George Lennon Michael Kilroy Ernie O'Malley Frank Aiken Moss Twomey Tom Hales Seán Hales Peadar O'Donnell Liam Deasy Liam Tobin Joseph McGrath Richard Barrett Louis Darcy W.J. Brennan-Whitmore
Associates	Irish Republican Brotherhood Cumann na mBan Fianna Éireann Clan na Gael Irish Self-Determination League National Association of Old IRA 1916–1921 Club
Derivatives	National Army Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army

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