18 June 1998 Edition
Murder bid on SF worker
A South Belfast Sinn Fein election worker narrowly escaped death last Thursday morning June 11 when four shots were fired at him as he was going to work.
The attempted murder took place off Friendly Street in the Markets area just before 7.00am. The man, who does not want to be named, was cutting through an alleyway when a gunman opened fire on him before running off. The intended victim was shaken by the attack but was otherwise unharmed.
The attack is believed to be the work of the ``Official'' IRA who have been responsible for a number of attacks on residents in the area in recent months.
South Belfast Assembly candidate, Councillor Sean Hayes, condemned the attack saying ``they obviously feel threatened by our electoral success'' and that ``they are trying to undermine the benefits Sinn Fein have gained for the Nationalist community. We'll not be deflected by a handful of criminals and gangsters.'' And called on those responsible for the murder bid to end their campaign of intimidation in the Markets area.
It is also believed that the gunman was caught on an RUC spy camera trained on the area. But Hayes doubts they will act swiftly as the RUC have long had a ``casual and lacklustre attitude to policing in nationalist areas.''
The attempted murder took place off Friendly Street in the Markets area just before 7.00am. The man, who does not want to be named, was cutting through an alleyway when a gunman opened fire on him before running off. The intended victim was shaken by the attack but was otherwise unharmed.
The attack is believed to be the work of the ``Official'' IRA who have been responsible for a number of attacks on residents in the area in recent months.
South Belfast Assembly candidate, Councillor Sean Hayes, condemned the attack saying ``they obviously feel threatened by our electoral success'' and that ``they are trying to undermine the benefits Sinn Fein have gained for the Nationalist community. We'll not be deflected by a handful of criminals and gangsters.'' And called on those responsible for the murder bid to end their campaign of intimidation in the Markets area.
It is also believed that the gunman was caught on an RUC spy camera trained on the area. But Hayes doubts they will act swiftly as the RUC have long had a ``casual and lacklustre attitude to policing in nationalist areas.''
