TWO homes were attacked in Belfast in the past 48 hours, apparently by loyalists, raising further questions about the stability of the loyalist ceasefire.
Both targets were houses owned by Protestants who were convinced their attackers were loyalist paramilitaries. No one has admitted the attacks.
Late on Sunday night, a number of armed and masked men entered a house in north Belfast, ransacked it and discharged a number of shots. They droves away in a Vauxhall car which was later found burned out in the loyalist Tiger's Bay area.
Ms Elaine Doherty, who lives in the house, was out at the time. She said she believes the men were after her boyfriend, who has asked not to be named.
He said his two brothers "fell out" with the UDA earlier this year and have left Northern Ireland. He blamed the UDA. However, Mr John White, a spokesman for the Ulster Democratic Party, which shares the thinking of the UDA, condemned the attack.
On Monday night, the home of Mr Gerry Drumgoole and his family in the Shankill came under attack from about 20 men armed with pick axe handles and bars. However, they failed to gain entry because of heavy steel security doors inside the front door.
"My husband was still up, said Ms Jacqueline Drumgoole. "The rest of us were in bed. About 20 men came and tried to break down the door with a sledge hammer. My son here was pretty frightened and hysterical and my little girl, who's six, won't come home. She's with relatives at the moment."
She had no idea why the family was attacked, apart from the fact that "we live in a street that's widely known". A huge UFF mural decorates the gable at the end of the small cul de sac where they live.
"My husband was still up said Ms Jacqueline Drumgoole. "The rest of us were in bed. About 20 men came and tried to break down the door with a sledge hammer. My son here was pretty frightened and hysterical and my little girl, who's six, won't come home. She's with relatives at the moment."
She had no idea why the family was attacked, apart from the fact that "we live in a street that's widely known". A huge UFF mural decorates the gable at the end of the small cul de sac where they live.
"My husband was shot by republicans and lost his spleen. Then we got the security in," she said. "But it was definitely not republicans this time. It was some sort of loyalists. No one has admitted it and no one told us why." Mr Drumgoole would not speculate on reasons for the attack.
Their next door neighbour, Ms Sandra Blakeley, had a brick thrown through her window and a car burnt outside her house during the incident. "I could not get out my door with my five children with the car burning outside," she said.
"I came back here from England and was threatened by nationalists and then your own people do this," she said. How did she know it was loyalists? You just know. They all came here on foot. I think it's just a case of mob rule. I don't understand it at all."