Powerful bombs used in UDA feud

Two explosions which shook the village of Ahoghill, County Antrim in the early hours of Thursday morning have been blamed on a drugs dispute among rival unionist paramilitary gangs.

One man whose home was targeted said he was lucky to be alive. He was on his own in the house when the front window shattered.

“The whole window blew in and there is a hole in the wall in the living room,” he said.

Another man living alone nearby was targeted in a similar manner.

The attacks are believed to be linked to a loyalist paramilitary dispute between the north Antrim and south-east Antrim UDA over drugs. Grafitti appeared on a wall near the Brookfield Gardens site where the explosions took place, saying ‘North Antrim UDA out’.

The relatively sophisticated pipe bombs used in the attack had timers attached. Sinn Fein councillor Patrice Hardy said it was worrying.

“We are extremely fortunate that we are not waking up to death or injuries this morning,” she said.

“Those behind these incidents cared little for the community they attacked.”

VANDALS

Elsewhere, loyalist paramilitaries were blamed for burning out a van belonging to the Housing Executive was burnt out in a loyalist estate in Bangor, County Down last week.

It is thought the attack may be connected to the construction of a new social housing scheme at nearby Kilclief Gardens.

And in an ominous sign for the future, a group linked to loyalist hardliners has called for ‘protests’ against the proposed settling of small numbers of Syrian refugees in the north of Ireland.

The ‘Protestant Coalition’ used its Facebook page to warn: “we don’t want or need refugees/terrorists in Northern Ireland”.

Meanwhile, sectarian attacks against Catholics have continued. This week the letters ‘UVF’ were across a Gaelic sports pitch in a sectarian attack in County Tyrone.

The letters, an abbreviation of unionist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force, were daubed in petrol over the Augher GAA pitch and set alight.

Anti-Catholic graffiti has also appeared in a mixed area of east Belfast. The “Taigs out” and “not welcome” graffiti was scrawled on a wall in the Ravenhill Avenue area in recent days.

Urgent Appeal