An RUC officer has warned of deaths or serious injuries if intercommunal violence in north Belfast continues.
Speaking yesterday after another night of rioting between loyalist and republican residents, this time in the Whitewell area of north Belfast, Insp Mark Kernohan said the disturbances were the most serious in the area for a long time.
Nine police officers and several civilians were hurt in disturbances on Wednesday night and yesterday morning during which a small home-made bomb was thrown and rival crowds hurled petrol-bombs and stones.
Residents, some disabled, were forced from their homes on both sides of the peaceline as stones, paint-bombs and bottles were thrown over 30-foot walls.
Loyalists in the White City estate claimed the trouble began when republicans from the Lower Whitewell Road carried out unprovoked attacks on their homes. Republicans rejected these claims, instead blaming loyalist paramilitaries.
Yesterday morning a second improvised explosive device was found in the back garden of a house in the White City estate. An RUC spokesman said it was a coffee-jar bomb of a design used by republicans.
Earlier on Wednesday night there were also disturbances on the Limestone Road and at Alexandra Park Avenue in north Belfast.
Meanwhile, in east Belfast, a man, a woman and a nine-year-old boy escaped injury when a pipe-bomb placed in a domestic refuse bin exploded. The blast happened at about 9 p.m. in an entry at the back of Kyle Street in the Sydenham area.
Meanwhile, forensic experts were yesterday attempting to establish the cause of a fire at a tyre depot in Armagh city. The fire, at Phillip White Tyres, began at 3.30 a.m. More than 5,000 car, lorry and tractor tyres were destroyed in the fire, which spread to an electricity sub-station, knocking out power to a number of commercial premises.