Dissident republicans blamed for 'reckless' shooting
Police in Belfast have come under gun attack for a second time in 24 hours.
Dissident republicans are being blamed for the shooting in which two bullets struck a police armoured vehicle on the Suffolk Road in west Belfast around 11.45pm last night.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed today that none of their officers were injured in the incident.
Condemning those behind the shooting, District Commander Chief Superindentant George Clarke condemned those behind the attack.
"For the second night in a row, dedicated community police officers have found themselves under attack from terrorists," he said.
"It is by luck and not design that we are not dealing with fatalities this morning and those responsible are to be utterly condemned for their evil and reckless actions.
"These officers go out each day to serve this community and they should be free to do so without the threat of attack."
Local SDLP Assemblyman for West Belfast Alex Attwood said there was now a "worrying trend" in the city with two attempts to murder police officers in 24 hours.
"Those engaged in this type of reckless violence are not advancing any political ideal, they are hurting the community they claim to represent," he said.
On Thursday night the republican terror group Oghlaigh na hEireann fired up to 10 shots at police vehicles guarding a loyalist protest in north Belfast.
Winston Irvine, a representative of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force, accused the dissidents of attempting to antagonise the unionist community as well as seeking to murder police officers.
"This was an attack on the whole community. This is absolutely an upping of the ante by republicans.
Irvine has appealed to loyalist paramilitaries not to be drawn into retaliation in response to increasing republican dissident terror attacks across Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
Sinn Féin North Belfast Assembly man and Stormont minister Gerry Kelly described the gun attack as "reckless".
He added: "Those behind this attack are serving their own narrow agenda and are in no way representative of this community." Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.
Police in Belfast have come under gun attack for a second time in 24 hours.
Dissident republicans are being blamed for the shooting in which two bullets struck a police armoured vehicle on the Suffolk Road in west Belfast around 11.45pm last night.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed today that none of their officers were injured in the incident.
Condemning those behind the shooting, District Commander Chief Superindentant George Clarke condemned those behind the attack.
"For the second night in a row, dedicated community police officers have found themselves under attack from terrorists," he said.
"It is by luck and not design that we are not dealing with fatalities this morning and those responsible are to be utterly condemned for their evil and reckless actions.
"These officers go out each day to serve this community and they should be free to do so without the threat of attack."
Local SDLP Assemblyman for West Belfast Alex Attwood said there was now a "worrying trend" in the city with two attempts to murder police officers in 24 hours.
"Those engaged in this type of reckless violence are not advancing any political ideal, they are hurting the community they claim to represent," he said.
On Thursday night the republican terror group Oghlaigh na hEireann fired up to 10 shots at police vehicles guarding a loyalist protest in north Belfast.
Winston Irvine, a representative of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force, accused the dissidents of attempting to antagonise the unionist community as well as seeking to murder police officers.
"This was an attack on the whole community. This is absolutely an upping of the ante by republicans.
Irvine has appealed to loyalist paramilitaries not to be drawn into retaliation in response to increasing republican dissident terror attacks across Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
Sinn Féin North Belfast Assembly man and Stormont minister Gerry Kelly described the gun attack as "reckless".
He added: "Those behind this attack are serving their own narrow agenda and are in no way representative of this community." Reported by guardian.co.uk 14 hours ago.