§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Minister of State for Defence how many rounds were fired at the Army at the weekend by the IRA in Belfast; how many rounds the Army fired in reply; and with what effect.
§ Mr. BlakerBetween 7 a.m. on 27th January and 7 a.m. on 29th January there were 120 incidents of shots being fired at the troops in Belfast. No record could be kept of the number of shots fired, but it is estimated to have been over 1,000. It is not possible to identify which shots were fired by the IRA, but the location of the shooting suggests that they were very largely responsible.
Troops fired in 75 incidents, shooting 697 rounds, and 14 gunmen are believed to have been hit. There were no Army casualties.
§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the attempt to murder a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment at Bay Shore, Lurgan, at the weekend; and what arrests were made.
§ Mr. BlakerAt about 9.30 p.m. on 28th January, a car carrying three or four men parked behind the private car of an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment. They surrounded his car and ordered him to alight. He did so, but he was able to reach his pistol and exchanged shots with them.
The gunmen continued to fire, and the UDR member sustained a wound to the index finger of his left hand before he was able to escape across a field. Inquiries are still continuing but I understand that no arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident.