The aftermath of the Shankill bomb in which nine innocent people died in 1993

SEVERAL hundred people have attended a service to remember nine innocent Protestant murdered in the IRA Shankill bomb atrocity.

A service to mark the 20th anniversary of the bombing took place in West Kirk Presbyterian Church.

Shops on the Shankill Road closed and the road was also closed as a mark of respect to the victims on the 20th anniversary of the slaughter.

A large crowd of people also listened in silence outside on the footpath paying their respects to those who died following the no-warning bomb attack on Frizzell’s fish shop.

Flowers were laid by pupils from the Harmony Primary School and the Girls Model laid at the bomb site.

On Saturday, October 23, 1993, just after 1 pm, two IRA terrorists walked into the shop dressed in white coats and left a box on the counter.

But before they could flee the bomb detonated prematurely, killing nine Protestants and one of the IRA bombers, Thomas Begley.

The other bomber, Sean Kelly, was taken to the Mater Hospital in an ambulance with some of the people he had just killed. He was later jailed for life for the murders but got out early under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Among those Kelly killed were two children aged seven and 13.

Last Sunday, Kelly apologised to those he had killed in the attack which was aimed at a UDA/UFF meeting above the fish shop.

However, his apology was rejected by relatives of his victims who said it was “20 years too late”.

The DUP MP Willie McCrea also raised the anniversary of the bombing at Westminster.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, the South Antrim MP said that “no-one should equate victims with murderers”.

In response the prime minister said “no-one should glorify terrorism”.

He urged people in Northern Ireland to “come together for a shared future”.