The Ulster Volunteer Force appears hell-bent on driving out the rival Loyalist Volunteer Force, it was claimed today.
After the bitter feud between the two terror groups claimed its third victim Stephen Paul in north Belfast last night, Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said the UVF, which has carried out all the murders, was not responding to requests to negotiate an end to the violence.
"This was another appalling murder," the East Belfast Assembly member said.
"But it has appeared for some time the UVF will not be budged. They see a certain parallel on what they are engaged in now and what the UDA ( Ulster Defence Association) did with Johnny Adair's faction in 2003.
"Their view is let's get them out of the way.
"I and others have appealed for mediation and I know there have been attempts at that but those initial contacts have had a negative response from the UVF."
Mr Paul was shot dead and another man wounded around 5.40pm last night as they sat in a van near a house in Wheatfield Crescent, off north Belfast's Crumlin Road.
Police have asked members of the public to help them trace the movements of a small blue car which was seen in the Wheatfield area around the time of the murder.
The car had the registration REZ 5600.
The murder has been condemned by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, across the political divide and by police.
Chief Superintendent Mike Little, the PSNI's commander in North Belfast described the murder as a senseless attack.
The nationalist SDLP Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast said it was clear the loyalist feud was spiralling out of control.
Pat Convery said: "Each death is a tragedy leaving a family to grieve and the community to suffer.
"It is also clear that when tensions within loyalism grow it will only be a matter of time before the nationalist community suffers.
"The police must not make the mistake of letting this feud fester and simmer. They must take robust action to ensure that no-one's life or livelihood is endangered."