Johnny Adair, the leader of one of the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association's six brigades has been dumped by the UDA leadership, it was claimed tonight.
The organisation said: "He is no longer acceptable in our organisation." A statement appeared to confirm growing suspicions of a major rift inside the largest of the Protestant terror groups following a shooting of a major drugs dealer and rival in Northern Ireland.
Adair, the UDA's west Belfast commander, was accused tonight of acting as an "agent provocateur" between his organisation and the splinter Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF)
Stephen Warnock, 35, was shot dead at the wheel of his BMW in Newtownards, Co.Down, earlier this month.
Later the UDA's east Belfast commander Jim Gray was shot in the face in apparent reprisal attack, heightening fears of an all our shooting war between factions.
A UDA statement tonight insisted none of its members had any part in the Warnock shooting.
It added: "It has since come to light that certain people have been acting as agent provocateurs between the Ulster Defence Association and the Loyalist Volunteer Force to capitalise on these events for their own purpose.
"As a result of ongoing investigations the present brigadier of west Belfast is no longer acceptable in our organisation."