Irisch Republikanische Solidarität








TC

Attacks blamed on loyalists




A retired couple are the latest victims of a series of attacks
at homes in Armagh town in the last week.

The husband and wife were treated for shock after a petrol
bomb exploded at their home in the Lonsdale Villas area early
yesterday morning.

The device was left on a ledge outside a bathroom window and
exploded at around 3am, smashing the window and setting
curtains on fire and causing smoke damage to the room.

It is believed that the device was attached to a firework.

There have been two other similar attacks in the Armagh area
within the last week

Loyalists have also been blamed for forcing a pregnant woman
to flee her Armagh home just a week after she moved into the
area.

The woman was in her house in the Lisannally Gardens area of
the city on Sunday when windows were smashed and a flammable
device was thrown at the front of the property.

The attack damaged the front door of the bungalow and
shattered windows.

The pregnant woman was not injured but was taken to hospital
suffering from shock.

Last Wednesday, a Swedish family were forced to flee their
home when four shots were fired at the Ard Ri Gardens
property. A five-year-old girl was showered with glass in the
incident, which prompted the family to move out of the area.

ARSON

A major fire at a west Belfast house, which led to a
family-of-eight fleeing their home, may have been caused
deliberately.

The fire began in Lenadoon after an oil tank at the rear of
their property was set alight at around 4am yesterday.

Eamonn Fitzsimmons, who was in the house with his wife and six
children said that their lives were saved because one of them
woke up in time.

"My wife just happened to wake up in the middle of the morning
and see the fire," he said.

"We just tried to get everyone out of the house. We have a
disabled son and six children between the ages of 14 and 25.
We just wanted to make sure everybody was out."

It is believed that the fire alarm had been disconnected in
the house.

The intensity of the flames are understood to have melted the
plastic tank, causing the oil to ignite and spread to the
kitchen.

The kitchen was destroyed in the blaze and the front and
upstairs room suffered severe smoke damage.

Neighbours, including an 84-year-old man, were also evacuated
following fears that the fire would spread beyond the
end-terrace house.

The intensity of the heat also damaged a property in the
adjacent Buncrana Gardens.

Martha Monaghan said that she and her family ran into the
street on hearing the shouts from their neighbours.

"We just grabbed whatever we could and ran out. They were
shouting for us to call the fire brigade. I don't have a house
phone so I ran to a neighbours and asked them to call," she
said.

"We weren't back in our house until after 7.30am."

Letzte Änderung:
01-Nov-03