Witness in IRA trials injured in Dublin blast

Suspected IRA bombers blew up an auto Wednesday in an attack that maimed Ireland's top forensic scientist - who was a key witness in the trial of two republican militants charged with murdering Lord Louis Mountbatten.

But police said Dr. James Donovan was also a regular key state witness in nonterrorist trials and they could not rule out a simple revenge attack by others he helped convict.

Police said the attack was the first of its kind against a leading public official. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.