EVEN by the standards of the dissident republican organisations, thursday's gun attack on police close to Ardoyne in north Belfast represented a shocking degree of recklessness. two police cars towing signs along the Crumlin Road were hit by at least ten shots from a powerful Kalashnikov-style assault rifle. The gunmen launched their murder bid from a firing platform set up behind a wall and close to houses in this densely populated area.
Fortunately no one was hurt, but anyone in the vicinity could have been hit.
Police recovered one rifle and during a follow-up operation dozens of people were moved from their homes and a school forced to close. So as well as being put at risk of being shot, residents also had to put up with considerable disruption to their lives.
It is absolutely disgraceful that dissidents are trying to kill officers policing this inter-face and trying to maintain order in difficult circumstances. This attack was senseless in every respect and we can only hope those responsible will be quickly apprehended.