The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) is a paramilitary organization that emerged during the conflict in Northern Ireland (also known as The Troubles). The INLA was formed in December 1974 with the aim of achieving Irish unification and establishing a socialist republic, primarily through armed struggle against British rule.
This organization sought to be a successor to the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and advocated for a more openly Marxist ideology. The INLA has been responsible for numerous acts of violence, including bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and robberies, often targeting British military personnel, police, and politicians, as well as suspected informants.
The INLA has been involved in high-profile incidents, such as the assassination of Conservative politician Airey Neave in 1979 and the 1981 H-Block hunger strikes, during which ten republican prisoners starved themselves to death to protest their status within the prison system.
Throughout its existence, the INLA has engaged in various internal conflicts and factional disputes, resulting in internal assassinations and a general decline in its activities over time. Following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought relative stability to Northern Ireland, the INLA declared a ceasefire in 1998 and officially disbanded as a paramilitary group in 2009.
Today, the INLA is considered a defunct organization, but its legacy and impact on the history of the conflict in Northern Ireland remain significant.
