A 36-year-old man has been arrested in Birmingham in connection with the murder of Belfast father-of-two Robert McCartney, police said today.
Another man aged 49 was arrested following a police operation in Belfast.
Mr McCartney, 33, died after he was attacked outside Magennis's Bar in Belfast city centre on January 30.
Mr McCartney's sister, Catherine McCartney, welcomed the news.
She said: "We obviously welcome these arrests but remain cautious. People have been arrested before and let out."
West Midlands Police later released details of the Birmingham arrest.
A force spokeswoman said: "In the early hours of this morning, armed officers visited an address in Victoria Road, Stechford, and arrested a 36-year-old man on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
"The man has been transferred to Belfast for questioning in respect of the murder of Robert McCartney."
It is understood the man arrested in Birmingham had been staying at the rented flat in Victoria Road for just three weeks.
A neighbour who lives next door to the second-floor bedsit where the 36-year-old was arrested told reporters he was woken by the sound of police officers battering open a side gate to the property.
The witness, who declined to give his name, said: "When I looked out, the police were round the back with guns.
"There was a big crash and it was a shock seeing two policemen armed.
"When I came out into the road they were all lined up with vans and everything.
"I didn't see anybody being led out - there was no shouting and everything appeared to be very calm."
Another resident, Eunice McGhie-Belgrave, said she had not been woken by the police raid.
But she added: "When I looked out of the window at about 7.30 I saw the police were still there and a man in a white suit was examining a car parked in the street."
More on this story in Thursday's Birmingham Post
