A potentially serious internal rift is developing in the North's largest loyalist terrorist organisation, the UDA, since last week's murder of the former informant, William Stobie.
The split appears to be between the two UDA companies in west Belfast: "B" based in the upper Shankill and Highfield area and "C" company, believed to be led still by the loyalist figure, Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, which is based in the lower Shankill.
Adair is in prison but is due for release next year and may receive Christmas parole at the weekend.
It emerged yesterday that a second west Belfast loyalist has fled his home after threats to his life from Adair's group, which is now suspected of having shot dead Stobie outside his home in the Forthriver area.
Another associate of Stobie's in the UDA B company moved home in the early hours yesterday after he was warned by Police Service officers about a threat to his life.
Loyalist sources say there has also been a threat to the life of the commander of B company and graffiti has appeared on at least one gable wall in the Shankill area making allegations and threats against him.
This man and his second-in-command are long-serving loyalist paramilitaries, both with local businesses.
Local sources say this dispute stems from the feud between the UDA's C company and the other loyalist terrorist group, the UVF, last year in which 14 people were shot dead and hundreds of people forced out of their homes.
The B company UDA men did not participate in the feud with the UVF and kept up good relations, despite the participation of other members of their organisation in the bloody conflict.
Similarly the UDA in south and east Belfast refused to participate in the feud.
The UDA's C company, under Adair's leadership, has forged an alliance with the Loyalist Volunteer Force, one of the most volatile and violent groups in Northern Ireland.
It was responsible for the murder in October of the journalist Mr Martin O'Hagan.
It is believed Adair and his associates wish to extend their area of influence and may be seeking to destabilise the remaining UDA structure.
C company is also identified as being closely involved in the drugs trade.
After last year's feud hundreds of people seen as supporters or members of C company were forced from their homes and moved into other loyalist areas of north Belfast.
This influx led to increasing tensions along the sectarian flashpoints and contributed to the militant loyalist protest against the pupils of the Holy Cross Primary School.
Loyalist sources said William Stobie had continued living in the hard-line loyalist Forthriver area because he had an undertaking from C company that he would not be killed.
A leading C company figure attempted to murder Stobie three years ago, shooting him in the head.
He was then apparently told that if he did not give evidence against his attackers, he would not be harmed.
It seems he believed this advice and was prepared to appear publicly to talk about his role as a police informant.
Well-placed local loyalist sources say it is likely that Stobie was originally recruited as an informant by the British army.
He had once served as an infantry soldier.