Irish Republican News · July 12, 2004

Families attacked

A family including three children aged under five escaped injury in a petrol bomb attack on their County Derry home.

The incident brought back memories of the deaths of the three Quinn children on July 12, 1998 during a wave of violence related to the marching season.

A device was thrown at the rear of the family’s house at Greenvale Park in Magherafelt shortly after 4.15am on Saturday.

A kitchen window and blinds were set on fire during the attack, when the petrol bomb was thrown from a lane at the back of the property.

The alarms was raised only when the mother of the children -- a five-year-old girl, a two-year-old boy and eight-week-old girl -- heard the noise of breaking glass.

The PSNI police confirmed the attack was “potentially life-threatening for the family”.

The home of a Catholic family in Newry was also attacked. Paint was thrown at the house and car in a mixed estate on the outskirts of the city in the early hours of Saturday.

A glass jar with red paint was thrown at a window at the side of the house and vandals also spray-painted the car.

Sinn Féin councillor Mick Murphy urged unionist representatives in the area to condemn the attack.

“It is essential that unionist leaders support the removal of provocative flags from this mixed estate in the best interests of community relations,” he added.

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