Woundings in Ulster

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 9

Woundings in Ulster

CVJ.P..4 -Reuter —Copyright) BELFAST, Jan. 11. Police sources said today that the “tradition-style” wounding of five men in Northern Ireland in the last two days might signal the start of a punishment campaign by extremists of the Irish Republican Army. The sources said that they suspected the five attacks against civilians on Tuesday and yesterday were provoked by an increase in the number of Roman Catholics willing to inform on the I.R.A. All of the woundings followed a pattern — the men live in Roman Catholic areas and were shot in one leg or foot by gunmen who called at their homes or stopped them on streets in Lurgan. Armagh, Londonderry, and Belfast.

“Shooting in the legs is a traditional I.R.A. punishment,” a police spokesman said. The attacks came after an increase in the number of arrests of I.R.A. suspects across the province in recent weeks.

Recognition moves France and East Germany have begun negotiations on establishing diplomatic relations; Norway and East Germany have signed an agreement to establish relations at ambassadorial level; and Japan has said that she would like to begin talks with East Germany towards the same end.—London, Jan. 18.