Four injured in paramilitary-style shootings

Four men have been injured and a family has had a lucky escape following a number of paramilitary-style shootings across the province.

At around 11.15pm, a masked man armed with a sawn-off shotgun forced his way into a house at Shetland Street, Antrim. One of occupants of the house, a 32-year-old man, confronted the gunman who fired his weapon before making his escape in a waiting car.

The man, his girlfriend and 11-week old child all escaped injury during the incident. A burnt-out vehicle was later found at Tardree Road in the town.

In Belfast, three men were being treated in hospital last night for gunshot wounds following a paramilitary-style shooting.

The three men, all in the 20s, were taken from a house in Northwick Drive in Ardoyne by a number of masked men at around 9pm. They were later found near Northwick Drive and Eskdale Gardens, each with a gunshot wound below the right knee.

In Londonderry, a number of masked men forced their way into a house in Herne Way. A man in his 20s was then held down and shot in the leg. He was also being treated in hospital last night.

(GMcG)