BEIJING, Sept. 13 -- Protestant extremists in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have attacked police and British troops for a third day. Monday's violence was sparked by anger over a restricted parade, and developed into some of the most widespread street mayhem that the city has seen in a decade. 

    Crowds of masked men and youths confronted police backed by British troops in dozens of hard-line Protestant districts.

    Gunmen opened fire on police and soldiers in at least two parts of the capital on Sunday night.

    Police said 18 more officers were injured on Sunday night and Monday morning, bringing the force's three-day total to 48.

    They blamed the Orange Order for inspiring the violence. The Order is a legal brotherhood with more than 50,000 members and they denied the allegation.

    Peter Hain, British Secretary for Northern Ireland, said: "Those responsible must be brought to justice. I will support the police in any action they take to do that and in the meantime I think everybody from unionist communities will be absolutely appalled at the way paramilitary groups are really acting in a gangster type way. "

    The riots began on Saturday when police prevented Orangemen from parading near a hard-line Catholic part of west Belfast.

    But analysts also agree that the march provided a pretext for Northern Ireland's two major outlawed Protestant paramilitary groups, the Ulster Defense Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force, to launch a pre-planned rebellion.

    Both the groups are supposed to be observing cease-fires and disarming in support of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord.

    (Source: cctv.com)