Mr Clarke said,
“Today, we pause to remember the nine brave RUC officers who lost their lives in that brutal and senseless attack. Their courage will never be forgotten, and my thoughts are with their families, colleagues, and all who still bear the pain of that day.
These nine officers represented a cross-section of Northern Ireland. Catholic and Protestant, urban and rural, experienced veterans and fresh-faced recruits. What they shared was a belief that serving in the RUC meant standing up all communities, even in the face of relentless threats.
This atrocity was not just an attack on individuals, but on the very fabric of our society and our right to live free from fear and violence. The perpetrators sought to intimidate and terrorise but they failed.
As we mark this solemn anniversary, we once again challenge those responsible to recognise the lasting hurt they caused and to accept that there was never any justification for such cruelty. There was always an alternative. True progress comes not from rewriting the past, but from facing it with honesty and accountability.”