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.