15 police officers injured in Northern Ireland disorder

LONDON - Police in Northern Ireland have confirmed that 15 police officers were injured during a night of disorder on Monday.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland condemned the violence in Ballymena in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.

The unrest followed a peaceful protest in support of the family of a girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault over the weekend, local media reported.

At around 7:30 pm local time, a planned vigil was initially peaceful as it proceeded towards the Clonavon Terrace area of Ballymena, according to police.

A number of masked individuals broke away from the gathering, building barricades, stockpiling missiles, and attacking properties in the Clonavon Terrace area.

Elements of the crowd then turned on the police, and police officers came under sustained assault for several hours, police said.

During the disorder, several homes and businesses were damaged, with windows and doors smashed. Four houses caught fire, prompting the evacuation of three residents.

A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of riotous and disorderly behaviour, attempted criminal damage, and resisting police, the statement said.