50 Years On, N.Ireland Still Reckons With Army Killings

For many Britons, the soldiers who intervened in Northern Ireland 50 years ago this week are unsung heroes who tried to keep the peace in a region riven with sectarian tensions

Lisburn, United Kingdom, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Aug, 2019 ) :For many Britons, the soldiers who intervened in Northern Ireland 50 years ago this week are unsung heroes who tried to keep the peace in a region riven with sectarian tensions.

To many Irish, they instead helped fuel the conflict.

The army's 38-year presence in the province has left a bitter legacy in the form of a fierce political debate over whether soldiers should be prosecuted for alleged crimes.

"The ramifications echo right through contemporary Northern Ireland -- the politics of now," said Dominic Bryan, a professor at Queen's University Belfast.

The dispute has led to demonstrations on both sides.

The Northern Ireland Veterans Association, which is holding an anniversary memorial event in the town of Lisburn on Saturday, said its members were "concerned".