Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that wanted to unite Ireland, by using armed force to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, mainly during The Troubles era. It split from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1969. Its violent activities formally ended in 1997. During that time, about 10,000 people were members. In 2002, there were about 1,000 people left; 300 of them were still in active service. In July 2005 it destroyed all its weapons and bombs.^[source?]

Its opponents were the British Army, the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and loyalist paramilitary groups like the Ulster Volunteers. The PIRA aimed to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist republic within a united Ireland. It tried to do this through armed attacks and explosions and by using political persuasion.

The Provisional Irish Republican Army is also referred to as the IRA, the PIRA, the Provos, or by its supporters as the Army or the 'RA. The PIRA usually refers to its members as volunteers. The IRA is a listed in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000. It is also listed as an unlawful organisation in the Republic of Ireland. The United States does not list the IRA as a "foreign terrorist organization", but includes them in the category of "other selected terrorist groups also deemed of relevance in the global war on terrorism.".