The Northern Ireland Police Service (PSNI) warned of unrest by dissident Catholics over the Easter weekend, days before US President Joe Biden’s visit, the BBC reported on Thursday.

The riots by people using violence to oppose Northern Ireland’s place in the UK could be an attempt to lure officers into attacks with firearms or bombs, Chief Constable Simon Byrne told the BBC at a public briefing.

The PSNI has made temporary changes to work shifts to get more officers on the front lines, he said.

Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the PSNI has “very strong public intelligence” that attacks on Londonderry planneda city near the border with the Republic of Ireland, according to the BBC.

The police warning comes ahead of President Biden’s visit next week and after Britain’s MI5 intelligence service raised the domestic terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to “severe”.

Northern Ireland has experienced sporadic violence by small groups, which have largely maintained the threat level at “serious” levels since the introduction of the system in 2010.

In February, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot several times by two gunmen. Police suspect the attack was carried out by a New Irish Democratic Army (New IRA) militant group that seeks to unite Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland.

Source: Reuters.