Two Belfast firefighters were injured in the west of the city last night when they were attacked by a gang of youths.
One fireman was punched in the face while the other was hit by a stone when they were attacked by a gang of some 30 people when they arrived to fight a fire off the Grosvenor Road.
The fire, at a derelict building, is believed to have been started deliberately.
Several items of the firefighters' equipment, including axes, a sledgehammer and bolt cutters were stolen during the incident.
Despite the violence, the fire crew managed to put out the fire and a number of the stolen items were later returned, fire chiefs said.
