Strabane 'punishment' attack slammed

Sinn Féin Councillor Brian McMahon has re-iterated Sinn Féin's total opposition to so-called punishment attacks in the wake of the shooting of a man in the Ballycolman area of Strabane on Tuesday night.

"Sinn Féin is opposed to such attacks, as we believe that they do solve anything and are often counter-productive. It goes without saying that such attacks should not be happening", said McMahon.

"Such attacks are a symptom of the void in policing with the community turning to other groups to fill this void. The reality is that in the absence of a credible non-partisan and accountable policing service, that has the support of and can earn the allegiance of the entire community, people will unfortunately look to other groups to fill this vacuum."