Adair associates accused of pipe bomb attack

Associates of jailed terror boss Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair were tonight accused of leaving a pipe bomb at the home of a leading loyalist in the outskirts of north Belfast.

Army bomb experts were sent to examine the device left outside the home of Sammy Duddy in the loyalist Rathcoole Estate.

Duddy is North Belfast representative of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) which has links to the Ulster Defence Association, which last year expelled Adair and his close associate John White.

Tonight’s incident follows pipe bomb attacks last night on two bars and a social club.

Security sources said these attacks were connected to the feud between former comrades in the UDA.

Meanwhile, lawyers acting for Adair will be in court tomorrow for the next stage of a bid to overturn Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy’s decision to have him re-arrested.

A UDA source said its members had been instructed not to retaliate as this could be seen as helping Adair’s case.

“He (Adair) is obviously aware that these attacks are taking place because he wanted a 24 hour lock up in prison so that ordinary UDA prisoners can’t get at him,” added the source.