A leading loyalist, who escaped injury in an assassination attempt in north Belfast, has blamed the INLA for the attack. A gunman fired a shot at the car being driven by Mr Davy Mahood before his weapon jammed.
Mr Mahood (53) is a member of the Ulster Political Research Group which provides political analysis to the UDA.
Sources close to the INLA last night said they had "no idea who tried to kill Mr Mahood".
The INLA has expressed anger at loyalist attacks in north Belfast and has clashed with the Provisional IRA over allegations that nationalist areas are being left "undefended". The INLA is believed to have been responsible for shooting a Protestant teenager on the peaceline in Ardoyne in July.
Mr Mahood was driving to his office when a gunman, wearing a crash helmet, fired a shot at his car near the junction of the Oldpark and Deerpark roads at 9.15 a.m. yesterday.
"He stepped out on to the footpath around the corner of Cliftondene and fired a shot at the car," Mr Mahood said. "The bullet missed. The gun jammed and when he tried to clear it, it jammed again. I was terrified." He said his "gut feeling" was that the attack had come "from the republican side". He added: "It looks like the INLA. They are the most active around there." Local Sinn Féin Assembly member, Mr Gerry Kelly, said he was satisfied the Provisional IRA was not involved. "It may be elements within loyalism or it could be other republican groups," he stated.
The PSNI was alerted to the incident when Mr Mahood flashed his car lights at an oncoming police Land Rover. The gunman escaped on a motorcycle. Detectives have removed the spent bullet cartridge for forensic tests.
Condemning the attack, local DUP MP, Mr Nigel Dodds, said: "This incident is clearly aimed at stoking up tensions. The sinister elements responsible need to be apprehended as soon as possible and brought to justice." Meanwhile, Sinn Féin has claimed that a pregnant woman in Ardoyne has been informed of a loyalist death threat against her. Sinn Féin councillor Ms Margaret McClenaghan said the PSNI had urged the woman "to take immediate security precautions".
"They claimed loyalists had details of her car and the route she takes to work each day. The woman in question is obviously very concerned. This raises serious questions for the Loyalist Commission who assured us that loyalist groups were on cessation and were operating a no-first strike policy.
"The fact they are targeting nationalists on a daily basis clearly raises questions for that organisation," Ms McClenaghan said.
A woman was arrested and ammunition seized during a raid on a house in the loyalist Mount Vernon Estate north Belfast on Wednesday night. Following the search, around 200 loyalists dropped breeze blocks and pieces of concrete on British Army and PSNI vehicles. One police officer was injured.