Police in Belfast are treating the petrol bombing of the Holy Cross Catholic church in Ardoyne overnight as a sectarian attack.
Three home-made devices were launched at the north Belfast church damaging the rood at around 2 am last night.
Emergency services attending the scene were attacked by stone-throwing youths. The church is situated on the Crumlin Rd interface between nationalist Ardoyne and loyalist Woodvale. The firefighters were attack by people from Woodvale.
The area was the scene of rioting by nationalists two weeks' ago when a police cordon was formed to allow a contentious Orange Order parade pass through the area.
The local school was the scene of disturbing incidents in the past when nationalist children were subjected to abuse on their way to and from school and had to go to class under police escort.
Detectives investigating 12 thof July violence in Ardoyne have renewed their appeal for information. Police came under sustained attack, which included attacks with petrol bombs and blast bombs.
They are asking the public to help identify people caught on police cameras during the fighting.
North Belfast District Commander, Chief Superintendent Mike Little said: "Police are using all available means, including extensive CCTV footage from the scene, to identify those involved. Our footage is extensive and clearly shows us the perpetrators of this violence."
"I would appeal to the community to work with us to prosecute these people who bring nothing but disorder and fear to the streets of North Belfast. This criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.
The overnight attack comes days after parish priest Fr Aidan Troy appealed for the release of republican Seán Kelly who recently went back to prison for suspected terrorist activities. He had been released under licence under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
Fr Troy declined to speculate on whether the attack was linked to his calls for Kelly to be released.
He said: "It is impossible to get inside the mind of the people who do these things. "We are working closely with the police and I would not begin to speculate on who might be responsible."
Fr Troy said the weekend services, which include a wedding today, will not be disrupted by the attacks.
Earlier this week the priest hit the headlines with his call, which was echoed by Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, for Sean Kelly to be released from prison as the reason for his detention was shrouded in mystery.
Nine civilians and Kelly's IRA accomplice, Thomas Begley, were killed in a blast at Frizzell`s fish and chip shop on the loyalist Shankill Road in October 1993, one of the most notorious atrocities of the Troubles. Kelly was given nine life sentences.