Children are victims of latest loyalist attacks

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday July 26, 2002 02:03 by McMean

A six-year-old Catholic girl received stitches to a gaping wound on her head after being hit with a brick thrown over the peace line into Clandeboye Drive from the loyalist Cluan Place area on Tuesday.

The child had just returned from holiday that afternoon and was
playing in a garden in Clandeboye Drive in the Short Strand when
the missile struck her on the head, leaving blood streaming from
the wound.


3 PIPE BOMBS IN SHORT STRAND

This incident follows a series of loyalist pipe bomb attacks
on the Short Strand, launched from the Cluan Place interface area
in recent days despite the fact that the British Crown forces
have a 24-hour presence there.

On Saturday 20 July a pipe bomb was thrown into the back of
houses in Clandeboye Drive. No one was injured but a pensioner's
bungalow was damaged.

On Monday 22 July, a second pipe bomb was thrown over the
'peaceline' and landed on the road where children were playing.
Luckily, the device failed to explode and was later defused.

The third attack came at around half past midnight, on Tuesday 23
July. The subsequent explosion broke a number of windows in
Clandeboye Drive.

Sinn Fein councillor for East Belfast Joe O'Donnell has called
for more protection for people living in the vicinity of
Clandeboye.

"These pipe bombs are designed to kill and the RUC/PSNI are doing
nothing stop these attacks on this area," he said. "We have a
pensioner's bungalow already condemned by the Housing Executive
because of the damage done to it by these nightly attacks. The
windows are being replaced on a daily basis and the Housing
Executive is even considering replacing the glass with toughened
perspex."

The British Army's most senior explosive expert, Lieutenant
Colonel Alex Boyd, has said that pipe bombs are more lethal than
hand grenades and also that no two pipe bombs are the same and
their effects are totally unpredictable.

"If I had to stand within five metres of a pipe bomb or a hand
grenade I would choose the grenade as I would have a better
chance of survival," said Boyd.

Pipe bomb attacks have killed five people and injured 27 in the
past five years This year has seen 76 incidents involving a total
of 96 pipe bombs which have resulted in one death and 11
injuries. Last year, there were 236 incidents involving 309 pipe
bombs, which killed one and injured 19 people.


LOYALISTS ATTACK NEW MOTHER AND BABY

A young mother and her newborn baby boy were attacked by
loyalists as they attended a doctors surgery on North Queen
Street at the Tiger's Bay interface at 5.45pm on Tuesday.

The young woman's partner, who was with her, explained that the
couple had just went into the doctors when two loyalist youths
came in, aimed pellet guns at them and left. As the couple and
their baby left the surgery to go home they were again confronted
by a crowd of loyalists, who chased them with iron bars and
baseball bats.

According to Sinn Fein councillor Gerard Brophy, "the loyalists
sit around outside the doctor's surgery to see where people come
from and if they come from the New Lodge then they see them as
targets".


RHD CLAIM GUN ATTACK

The Red Hand Defenders in Portadown have claimed responsibility
for a shooting on Monday morning in which an 18-year-old Catholic
girl narrowly escaped death.

A loyalist gun gang, opened fire on her Portadown home at 12.40am
on Monday. Two bullets entered the bedroom where the teenager was
sleeping. Both passed close to her head before ripping into a
wardrobe across the room.

The girl lives with her parents and two siblings in Charles
Street in Portadown, a street which has suffered many loyalist
attacks over the years.

A car used in the attack was found burnt out a few miles from the
scene.

The RHD in the area are thought to be an amalgamation of the
remnants of the LVF and UDA.

Craigavon Sinn Fein councillor Brian McKeown said the attack was
"a very deliberate attempt to kill Catholics".

Breandan MacCionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition
has urged Catholics in the Portadown area to be very vigilant and
take extra care.

"Unfortunately past experience has shown us this is unlikely to
be an isolated incident," he said. "This could be the start of
another murderous sectarian campaign against Catholics in
Portadown."


LOYALIST ATTACKERS GO ABOUT FREELY

A Limavady man who received a fractured skull and severe bruising
to his body during a vicious sectarian attack on him by loyalists
on Monday has said his attackers are still walking about the
town despite his naming them to the RUC/PSNI.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals,
said his friend and himself were set upon by six loyalists who
got out of a car in Catherine Street. "I woke up in Altnagelvin
Hospital with a fractured skull," he said.

"No one has been arrested and nothing seems to have been done
despite me identifying my attackers and telling the RUC/PSNI. I
want to know why these loyalists who attacked me are walking
about Limavady."