THREE men are being treated in hospital after separate punishment" beatings yesterday morning.
In Derry, an 18 year old man gas beaten by seven or eight men using iron bars. Two other youths were made to watch. The victim, who suffered severe bruising, was taken from his house at Lenamore Gardens by five masked men.
They hooded him and drove him to a subway, where others joined them. During the beating, the victim had a gun put to his head and was warned to leave Derry within 48 hours.
A 22 year old man suffered a broken arm, thumb and rib when beaten by four masked men in Craigavon, Co Armagh. The attackers, who used baseball bats with nails, forced their way into the man's house.
The third attack was in Antrim town, where a 29 year old man standing outside a house at Dromain Drive in the Stiles Estate was set upon by three men with sticks.