Attack on Ballygawley barracks On 7 December 1985 the Provisional Irish Republican Army ( IRA ) attacked the Royal Ulster Constabulary ( RUC ) base at Ballygawley , County Tyrone . Two RUC officers were shot dead and the base was raked with gunfire before being completely destroyed by a bomb , which wounded a further three officers . Background . During 1985 , Patrick Kelly became leader of the Provisional IRA East Tyrone Brigade . He , along with East Tyrone Brigade members Jim Lynagh and Pádraig McKearney , advocated using flying column s to destroy isolated British Army and RUC bases and stop them from being repaired . The goal was to create and hold " liberated zones " under IRA control that would be gradually enlarged . Although IRA Chief of Staff Kevin McKenna turned - down the flying column idea , IRA Northern Command approved the plan to destroy bases and prevent their repair . In that year alone there were 44 such attacks . Among the most devastating was the Newry mortar attack in March . The attack . The attack involved two IRA active service unit s from the East Tyrone Brigade : an armed assault unit and a bomb unit . There were also several teams of IRA observers in the area . The assault team was armed with AK - 47 and AR - 15 rifles , while the bombing unit was to be responsible for planting and detonating a bomb . Both units were commanded by Patrick Kelly . The assault was launched on Saturday 7 December at 18 : 55 , when the handful of RUC officers manning the base were getting ready to hand over to the next shift . In the first burst of automatic fire , the two guards at the entrance were killed : Constable George Gilliland and Reserve Constable William Clements . Constable Clements ' Ruger security six revolver was taken by the attackers . The base was then raked with gunfire . Another three RUC officers who were inside ran out to the back of the base , where they hoped the walls might offer some cover . IRA members went into the building and took documents and weapons . The bomb was placed inside and , upon detonation , destroyed the entire base . Three officers were hurt . The republician magazine " Iris " ( # 11 , October 1987 ) described the attack as follows : One volunteer took up a position close to the front gate . Two RUC men opened the gate and the volunteer calmly stepped forward , shooting them both dead at point blank range . Volunteers firing AK - 47 and Armalite rifles moved into the barracks , raking it with gunfire . Having secured the building they planted a 100 lb bomb inside . The bomb exploded , totally destroying the building after the volunteers had withdrawn to safety . The first British Army unit to arrive at the base in the wake of the attack was D Company , 1st Battalion , Duke of Edinburgh ' s Royal Regiment . Aftermath . The attack was one of the Provisional IRA ' s biggest during this period . The British Government responded by boosting Army , and especially Ulster Defence Regiment patrols , in isolated areas . Royal Engineers rebuilt the base in 1986 . The East Tyrone IRA launched two similar attacks in the following years : the successful attack on the Birches base in 1986 , and the ill - fated attack on the Loughgall base in 1987 , in which eight IRA members were killed . The gun taken from Constable Clements was found by security forces after the ambush .