NI school damaged in petrol bomb attack

A Catholic primary school has been badly damaged during an overnight petrol bomb attack in Belfast.

As tension remained high across the city, a classroom at the Holy Rosary school in Sunnyside Crescent was set alight when a device was hurled into it.

The room suffered severe smoke and water damage, while another four classrooms had windows smashed.

A hammer and several petrol bombs were recovered at the scene in south Belfast.

Fire Service station officer John Denver said: ‘‘At the moment police are still investigating the cause, but we would be treating the incident as malicious.’’

The attack came close to one of Belfast’s main thoroughfares which had to be closed by police after clashes involving rival loyalist and nationalist mobs.

Crowds of up to 100 on each side gathered on the Ormeau Road stoned police during the violence. There were no reports of any injuries.

Sectarian trouble has engulfed parts of Belfast over the past fortnight, with Catholics and Protestants engaged in gun battles and hand-to-hand fighting.

Earlier there were reports of gunfire near a peaceline in the north of the city.

Republicans also claimed children had a lucky escape in the Duncairn area last night after shots were fired in their direction as they were playing football.