Sinn Féin TDs apologize for IRA ambush tweet

Two Sinn Féin TDs have apologized for posting a tweet about an IRA ambush on an RUC patrol in which two officers were injured.

The tweet, which was posted on the Sinn Féin Laois-Offaly Twitter account, read: "Remembering the IRA ambush on an RUC patrol in Lurgan, County Armagh, on this day in 1988. Two RUC officers were injured in the attack."

The tweet was deleted shortly after it was posted, and both TDs, Brian Stanley and Seán Fleming, have since apologized for any offense it may have caused.

Stanley said in a statement that the tweet was "insensitive" and that he "deeply regrets" posting it.

"I am a strong supporter of the peace process and I believe that violence is never the answer," he said. "I apologize to all those who were offended by the tweet.

Fleming also apologized for the tweet, saying that it was "a mistake.

"I am sorry for any hurt or offense it caused," he said. "I am committed to building a better future for all the people of Ireland, and I believe that peace is the only way to achieve that."

The Sinn Féin leadership has also apologized for the tweet, saying that it was "unacceptable."

"We are committed to the peace process and to building a better future for all the people of Ireland," a party spokesperson said. "We apologize for any offense caused by the tweet and for the hurt and distress it may have caused to the victims and their families."

The IRA ambush in Lurgan took place on February 28, 1988. Two RUC officers, John Johnston and Gordon Martin, were injured in the attack.