THREE OFFICERS SHOT DURING RIOTS IN BELFAST
Baku, July 12 (AZERTAC). Three police officers have been shot during violence in north Belfast on the eve of the annual Twelfth parades.
The officers, one a woman, were injured by a masked man firing a shotgun at North Queen Street. One male officer remains in hospital with an arm wound. A total of 27 officers were injured during disturbances - 14 in the New Lodge area of north Belfast and 13 at Broadway in west Belfast. About 200 people threw petrol bombs, stones and bottles at Broadway. The trouble began at about 23.45 on Sunday. Police used water canon and fired baton rounds.
The police ombudsman is investigating the incident which is routine procedure when police fire baton rounds. During the rioting, at least one car was hijacked and set alight. It happened as police formed lines to separate those in the nationalist Broadway area from people attending traditional loyalist eleventh night bonfires on the nearby Donegall Road. The trouble in the New Lodge in north Belfast was also described as "sustained". There was also sustained rioting in the Broadway area last weekend. The police said that trouble had been "orchestrated" with Sinn Fein blaming dissident republicans.
Other news in this section
