Extra police and British army units have been drafted on to the streets of Belfast in an attempt to prevent more killing in the bitter feud within the loyalist UDA.
Four men are being questioned by police today about the latest attack that left a man in critical condition in hospital.
The murder attempt in Carrickfergus took place at a house in Dunluskin Gardens where police said two masked men opened fire, hitting the victim several times.
He is believed to be a close associate of notorious "C Company" commander Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair who is in dispute with the UDA leadership.
The feared loyalist was expelled from the UDA along with mentor John White by the organisation's five other brigadiers last September for siding with another terrorist grouping in an earlier fall-out.
Adair himself survived a bomb attack at his west Belfast house yesterday in the latest in a series of attempts on his life. The blast-type device exploded just yards from his home in the hardline Lower Shankill estate.
The Carrickfergus attack was the third shooting in the North in the past fortnight. On St Stephen's night, Mr Jonathan Stewart (22), was shot dead by Adair's supporters at a house party in north Belfast.
He had no paramilitary links but was a relative of a senior loyalist. Last week, Mr Roy Green (32) was shot dead by the UDA leadership as he left a bar in the upper Ormeau area of south Belfast. His funeral took place yesterday.
PA News adds:Loyalist paramilitary chiefs have formed a new unit to carry out strikes on rivals involved in a deadly internal feud, it was claimed today.
Up to six men have been drafted in by the UDA as its war with renegade commander Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair intensifies. A senior loyalist source disclosed: "This is a special, hand-picked force set up to carry out operations".