Gang Takes Blame in N. Ireland Death
A new Protestant gang opposed to Northern Ireland’s prevailing cease-fires claimed responsibility Sunday for killing a Roman Catholic civilian.
A caller representing the Red Hand Defenders told the BBC’s office in Londonderry that the group shot 35-year-old Brian Service as he walked home alone early Saturday on Belfast’s rough north side. The caller also claimed responsibility for another gun attack at a pub in Catholic West Belfast in which nobody was hurt.
The killing demonstrates a new dissident threat to discipline within the ranks of Northern Ireland’s outlawed pro-British groups: the Ulster Defense Assn., Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando, which have observed a joint cease-fire since 1994, and the Loyalist Volunteer Force, which joined the truce after politicians struck a historic peace accord in April.
Although the Red Hand Defenders’ name first emerged this summer, police and politicians suspect that the group may be a cover for dissident members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
