The home of a loyalist councillor was attacked last night. Tommy Kirkham, a councillor representing the Ulster Democratic Research Group, survived uninjured when shots were fired at his home in Carnmoney.
The attack was seen as the latest phase of the bitter ongoing feud between rival factions.
Mr Kirkham, a councillor in Newtownabbey, said he was in the house with his son when the house was attacked. Police said they were investigating the shooting at Richmond Road. They said there were also reports of shots being fired in north Belfast at the Crumlin Road and in the staunchly loyalist Rathcoole area.
There were no reports of injuries. The violence escalated as police continued to question two men arrested earlier in the day when they foiled what they believed to be a gun attack linked to the loyalist paramilitary feud in Belfast.
A police officer was injured during the major security operation when two handguns were found in the Ballysillan district of the city.
The security forces had stepped up patrols because of heightening fears that a shooting war involving rival factions of the Ulster Defence Association was set to ignite.
The two men were arrested after police chased the rider and pillion passenger of a motorcycle intercepted in the north of the city. The arrests came as factions linked to ousted UDA commander Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair urged their rivals within the splintering terror group to stop the feud before more men are killed.
Meanwhile, in an unconnected incident, a man was taken to hospital after being shot six times in what appeared to be a paramilitary attack in Co Down. The 26-year-old was shot in both legs, ankles and hands in the Ballymote area of Downpatrick.