May condemns journalist's death during N Ireland riots

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday condemned the death of journalist Lyra McKee during riots in Northern Ireland's Londonderry, labelling the incident as "truly senseless."

"The death of Lyra McKee in last night's suspected terrorist incident in Londonderry is shocking and truly senseless. My deepest condolences go to her family, friends and colleagues. She was a journalist who died doing her job with great courage," the UK Prime Minister tweeted.

Police believe that the Dissident republicans or the Irish Republican Army (IRA), who do not support the current peace agreements in Northern Ireland, are responsible for the 29-year-old journalist's death, according to CNN.

The journalist was shot in the riots which shook Londonderry late on Thursday. Over 50 petrol bombs were thrown at officers and gunshots were fired after a crowd gathered in the area on Thursday night.

This comes right ahead of the Easter weekend, during which the IRA marks the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, considered one of the most important dates in the struggle for Irish independence.

"Police didn't use any force last night. All the violence was directed towards us...The shock over what happened here in this city last night is hanging heavy over the entire community today," Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton said.

"As we move into the Easter weekend I would appeal for calm and ask everyone with influence in the community to work together to ensure there are no further acts of violence," he added during a presser on Friday morning.