Republican rabble leaders put mobile into roadside bomb that's exploded (8)
I believe the answer is:
irrupted
'exploded' is the definition.
'republican rabble leaders put mobile into roadside bomb' is the wordplay.
'leaders' indicates taking the first letters.
'mobile' is an anagram indicator.
'into' is an insertion indicator.
'roadside bomb' becomes 'ied' (improvised explosive device).
The first letters of 'republican rabble' is 'rr'.
'rr'+'put'='rrput'
'rrput' anagrammed gives 'rrupt'.
'rrupt' going inside 'ied' is 'IRRUPTED'.
'that's' is the link.
(Another definition for irrupted that I've seen is " Broke in".)