Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI condemned on Wednesday the recent killings in Northern Ireland, which have sparked fears of a new wave of violence which for decades marred relations between the province's Catholic and Protestant communities.

"It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the murders of two young British soldiers and a policeman in Northern Ireland," Benedict said during his traditional mid-week General Audience.

"As I assure the families of the victims and the injured of my spiritual closeness, I condemn in the strongest terms these abominable acts of terrorism," Benedict said.

"Apart from desecrating human life, seriously endanger the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland and risk destroying the great hopes generated by this process in the region and throughout the world," he added.

"I ask the Lord that no one will again give in to the horrendous temptation of violence and that all will increase their efforts to continue building - through the patient effort of dialogue - a peaceful, just and reconciled society," the pontiff said.

Responsibility for the two attacks has been claimed by dissident Republicans who seek British-controlled Northern Ireland's union with the mostly Catholic Irish Republic and oppose a 1997 power-sharing peace agreement.

According to official statistics, Northern Ireland has around 1.76 million inhabitants, approximately divided between the 60 per cent Protestant majority and the 40 per cent Catholic minority.

The suddeen spate of shootings are the first lethal attacks on either the army or police forces for more than a decade. (dpa)