(CNN) -- Police in Northern Ireland said Saturday that they suspect a roadside bomb that exploded in a border county was a lure, designed to draw them into the area.
District Commander Chief Alaqsdair Robinson said in a statement that the explosion on a road leading to the village of Newtownhamilton caused significant damage to both the road and a nearby bridge.
There were no reports of injuries, but the surrounding area was closed and police were asking people to stay away.
Robinson said he believes that police officers were the target, and that the bomb was placed in the area in an attempt to injure or kill them.
Northern Ireland police said the explosion occurred before 5:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) in County Armagh, near Newtownhamilton. The town saw some violence in the struggle between Catholics and Protestants during the years of conflict known as "The Troubles." And last April, three people were injured in an explosion outside a police station there.
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland's County Louth (which borders County Armagh), shots were fired at officers, according to Northern Ireland Policing Board member Basil McCrey.
McCrey also told CNN that police in County Louth stopped a car on suspicion of transporting explosives across the border from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. Five people were detained.
Roadside bomb explodes in Northern Ireland - CNN.com