Dissident Republican group claims Arson attack

 A dissident Irish republican splinter group has claimed responsibility for an arson attack against taxi deport in the city of Belfast, it has emerged.

The splinter group, known as Óglaigh na hÉireann (Warriors of Ireland) claimed responsibility for the attack, which occured on February 7th. Two people were lightly injured when two masked men entered the depot and started a fire. In a written statement which was distributed throughout the area, the group claims, that a number of the taxi depot's employees were involved in drug dealing and that the owner had turned a blind eye to their activities. The owner, who is currently on holidays, has been threatened and told not to return to Ireland.

However, mainstream republican sources, including Gerry Kelly - an elected Sinn Féin MLA and ex-IRA prisoner, has said that the action was simply an attempt to extort money from the business owners. He has also called on the Republican Network for Unity (RNU) - which is considered to be the political wing of ONH - to publically explain the reasoning behind this attack.

Other sources have claimed that the larger Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) had been involved in the incident.