The announcement was made this morning at a press conference in West Belfast by leading Derry republican socialist Martin McMonagle.

A statement from the leadership of the republican group - which was responsible for more than 120 deaths since its formation in 1974 - said the decision to disarm was made after "in-depth consultation" over recent months.

The decommissioning process was facilitated by a number of other organisations, including Derry community development group, Creggan Enterprises.

Reading from the INLA statement, Mr McMonagle said: "On October 11, the INLA announced that our military war was over, concluding that the time was right to reaffirm the primacy of politics and clearly stating it is our belief that armed struggle is not a viable option at this time.

"We can now also confirm that the INLA has disarmed through a joint facilitation group consisting of a local, a national, and an international organisation.

"This was done in a process in accordance with international standards. This joint facilitation group included Creggan Enterprises, Derry, The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and the Dialogue Advisory Group, Amsterdam, an international conflict resolution organisation."

The announcement comes just days before the first anniversary of the last killing carried out by the INLA when Jim McConnell was shot dead in his home in the Prehen area of Derry. The organisation accused the 38-year-old of drug dealing.