The Army Withdraws

The British Army's emergency operation in Northern Ireland came to an end at midnight on Tuesday 31st July after 38 years. British troops were sent to Northern Ireland in 1969 after violent clashes between Catholics and Protestants. Operation Banner was the Army's longest continuous campaign in its history with more than 300,000 personnel serving and 763 directly killed by paramilitaries. A garrison of 5,000 troops will remain but security will be entirely the responsibility of the police.

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