Suspected pipe bomb attack prompts evacuations in Belfast

An explosion at a house in Belfast, Northern Ireland, early Friday prompted the evacuation of nearby residents, with a local councillor describing the incident as a "pipe bomb attack."

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers were responding to a security alert in the Stanhope Street area of north Belfast, where cordons had been established.

"Police are at the scene of a security alert in the Stanhope Street area of north Belfast following an explosion at a house in the early hours of Friday. Cordons are in place and a number of local residents are being evacuated," the force said in a statement.

Belfast City Councillor JJ Magee condemned what he described as a "pipe bomb attack," saying no one had been injured.

"This is as a reckless and dangerous act that has left the local community in shock," Magee wrote on US social media platform X.

"Thankfully, no one has been injured," he said.

Police provided no further details about the cause of the explosion or the extent of the damage.