Doctors at Coleraine Hospital were this morning treating an 11-year-old girl who was wounded in a gun attack on her home last night. She is believed to be the latest victim of the UDA-UVF feud that has already claimed three lives.
The girl was shot in the back when automatic gunfire was sprayed at her home around 11 p.m. last night. The young victim was this morning in an ill but stable condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Others in the house were uninjured.
The shooting happened at Jefferson Park in Coleraine, Co Derry, and followed another gun attack on the unoccupied home of a supporter of the Progressive Unionist Party early yesterday.
There was a pipe bomb attack in the town the previous night.
Police believe the shooting is part of the continuing UVF-UDA feud. The UVF is understood to be responsible for last night's incident. Several British army troops were deployed in Coleraine this morning in an attempt to prevent further reprisals.
The shooting follows an intensive day of behind-the-scenes negotiations aimed at ending the feud. The efforts continued despite an arson attack on a house in the Shankill area of Belfast where the last victim was killed.
Earlier, there had been an appeal from local community workers to end the feud and there was hope of a joint statement from the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing, and the Ulster Democratic Party, the UDA's political wing. However, it failed to materialise.
It is understood there have been no formal face-to-face negotiations between the two sides.
Both the UVF and the UDA blamed each other for the fire at the house in Summer Street where Samuel Rockett was shot dead last week. He was killed by the UDA in retaliation for the UVF murders of Mr Jackie Coulter and Mr Bobby Mahood.
There was no one in the house when it was set on fire. The PUP blamed the UDA for the blaze. However, Mr John White of the UDP insisted the UVF had set fire to the house after moving Mr Rockett's girlfriend out. "I am very angry about this," he said. "When I heard the attack was taking place, I immediately telephoned the RUC and then went to the house. My car was surrounded by the UVF and I had to ram my way out otherwise my life would have been in danger."
The UDA is believed to have been responsible for a gun attack in Coleraine, Co Derry, early yesterday. Shots were fired into a house on Daneshill Road. No one was inside at the time.
In their appeal, local community workers said the UVF and the UDA must find another way to resolve their differences.
In their statement, the community workers - Mr Jackie Hewitt, Mr Jackie Redpath, Mr Jimmy Creighton and Mr Joe Stewart - said it had been one of the worst weeks in the area's history and young people had been traumatised by the violence.
"We urge the paramilitaries to find another way of resolving their conflict that does not impinge on the lives of their community, or irreversibly damage our children and young people."
The UDP supported the appeal. Mr White said: "The feud must end now. The time for recriminations is over."
In a statement, the PUP acknowledged the community workers' sentiments.