21 July 2005 Edition

Resize: A A A Print

News in Brief 1

Ballymena bomb hoax

A father and his two sons were targeted in a loyalist double bomb hoax on Wednesday 13 July in the Dunclug Estate in Ballymena.

Michael Ward, a member of the Travelling Community, was at home with his two sons when he woke up suffering with heartburn and discovered a device, which had been set alight, at his front door.

Ward called the PSNI, who brought in the British Army whose bomb experts declared the device a hoax.

Several hours later the PSNI came to the Ward home to tell him one of his windows was broken. It was then that the second device was found.

Derry homes attacked

A 60-strong unionist gang bombarded nationalist homes in the Mountain View Estate in the Waterside in Derry on Wednesday 13 July.

A five-year-old girl was terrified after her home was targeted in the 2am raid.

Sinn Féin Mayor of Derry, Lynn Fleming commended the actions of those local people who defended their community against attack. "I am sure that if any of the residents had left their homes to confront these thugs then they would have been seriously hurt or even killed.

Orange bandsmen assault locals

Tensions are mounting in the small County Tyrone town of Castlederg ahead of a planned loyalist march on Saturday 23 July and after a gang of up to ten Orange bandsmen attacked three local people.

The attack occurred at the weekend when the two women and one man were approached by the bandsmen as they walked home along the Killeter Road.

The man was beaten and kicked about the head and body while the women were also assaulted. All three were treated for their injuries in the Tyrone County Hospital.

Empey criticised after attack

A 'party' held in the loyalist Cluan Place to celebrate the Orange 12th ended in nationalist homes in the Clandeboye Estate coming under missile attack.

Sinn Féin's Deborah Devenney criticised Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey for making, "partisan and one-sided commentary", about the situation.

Empey had earlier blamed nationalists for causing the trouble.

PSNI accused of stoking tension

Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly has accused the PSNI of deliberately stoking tensions in North Belfast after a series of house raids and arrests of young people, one as young as 15, in the Carrickhill area.

Kelly said: "The community in Carrickhill have worked hard to try and ensure that the area does not become another interface area. People are asking why the PSNI have now deliberately chosen to target this area while doing nothing about the attempted murder of nationalists in Mountainview or the attacks on the homes of nationalists in Alliance Avenue."


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland