Several pipe-bombs exploded and two British army vehicles were burnt out in renewed sectarian clashes in north Belfast on Sunday night. Three police officers were injured in the disturbances between rival loyalist and nationalist factions in the Limestone Road area, with 10 more officers and four soldiers having to be treated for shock.
A woman also suffered shock following a blast-bomb explosion.
A British army spokesman confirmed that the trouble started when a device was thrown at the security forces from the loyalist side, as they tried to deal with a crowd of nationalist youths.
"This was a narrow escape for the troops on duty doing their level best to protect all sections of the community from wanton violence," he said.
Local Sinn Féin councillors insisted that disturbances began when a pipe-bomb was thrown into the back yard of a house in nationalist Parkside Street.
A loyalist community worker, Mr Eddie McClean, however, said the clashes were a result of the shooting of two Protestants during riots in the nearby North Queen Street area on Saturday night following the Scottish FA Cup final between Rangers and Celtic, when 28 police officers and 10 civilians were injured in serious disturbances involving up to 800 people.
Mr McClean said one of the men had been shot in the leg and the other through the mouth. He accused the media of playing down the extent of the men's injuries. They have since been released from hospital.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Mr Jim Rodgers, called for water cannon with dye to be used to identify and disperse rioters following the weekend disturbances. Their deployment was common practice in other European cities. "Football is a sport and whether you win or lose, you certainly don't have to go out and riot and cause mayhem on the streets. When you have young people of the age of eight upwards throwing missiles at police, you can't allow it to continue."