Loyalist and Nationalist youths have been involved in fresh disturbances in North Belfast this afternoon. Police say around 100 people on each side were involved in the violence in the Limestone Road and Halliday's Road area. Security forces moved in to the Limestone Road to separate both factions, and the area is reported to be quiet at the moment.
A Protestant woman in her thirties received facial injuries when a blast bomb was thrown and hit a car at Halliday's Road. She was taken to the Mater hospital. Police have removed remnants of the bomb for forensic examination.
Loyalist residents in Halliday's Road claimed the blast bomb had been thrown from the Nationalist Newington Street area. This was disputed by Nationalists. The windscreen of the car was damaged in the blast.
Four police were injured in the disturbances, none seriously. One was wounded in the leg, while the others had injuries to their upper body.
Overnight in North Belfast, at least five police officers were injured during rioting. Most of the injuries to the officers were believed to be minor, the most serious a suspected broken hand.
Police lines came under petrol bomb and missile attack during several hours of violence which saw stoning between rival Loyalist and Nationalist groups in the Serpentine Road and White City areas, followed by a sustained Loyalist offensive against police.
A number of security force vehicles were badly damaged during the trouble, including an incident where a BMW car was forced into police lines. A police spokesman said they had also received reports of eight homes having windows smashed in stoning attacks. Several private cars were also damaged. Police recovered clubs, bottles and home-made traps designed to disable police vehicles during follow-up searches.
