WEEKEND "punishment" attacks in republican and loyalist areas have been condemned by Northern Secretary Sir Patrick Mayhew. Three men aged 25 to 30 were shot in the legs in loyalist Princess Way, Portadown, Co Armagh, on Friday. They are recovering in hospital where their injuries are described as not life threatening.
There were also two "punishment" beatings in Belfast. A 24 year old man from Whiterock suffered leg injuries after a group of men attacked him with baseball bats in Elmfield Street in Ardoyne in the north of the city. Republicans are believed responsible.
A two year old girl saw her father beaten with baseball bats by masked men in north Belfast. The child was in the house when the three men broke in and started beating the 31 year old man, whose fingers were fractured. The girl's mother was hit in the face as she tried to stop the assault at Cosgrove Heights, off the Limestone Road. Loyalists are believed to have carried out the attack.
Sir Patrick said: "Each crime seems to have been the work of terrorist gangsters with the political motive of demonstrating their local power to intimidate. Attacks of this kind are increasing.
"I wish, thereforeto state once more that they are a revolting form of crime. No code of morality can justify them, no democracy can tolerate them. Let no one involved in them be in any doubt that politically motivated assaults from whatever quarter are totally incompatible with the principles of democracy and non violence."