POLICE ARE APPEALING for information after a man in his 20s was reportedly shot during a paramilitary-style attack in Derry last night. 

The PSNI received a report shortly before 11pm that at around 10.50pm three masked men entered a house in Mimosa Court in Gobnascale. 

One of the men was armed with a hammer, while a second, armed with a handgun, shot the 25-year-old victim in the leg, according to police. 

The gunman attempted to fire a number of subsequent shots, but it was reported that the gun jammed and the suspect fled. 

A woman who was in the house at the time was unharmed. There was no one else in the house. 

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment of the injury to his leg, which is not believed to be life threatening. 

The gunman is described as being approximately 5’4″ in height, while the suspect wielding the hammer is described as being taller.

Both suspects spoke with what has been described as local accents. All three men wore balaclavas.

“This was a savage and brutal attack on a young man in his home, carried out by faceless cowards,” Detective Inspector Peter McKenna said. 

Nothing gives these people the right to violate the human rights of others, and their actions should be condemned by all.

Those who are involved in paramilitary-style attacks do not represent the interests of any community, nor do they contribute anything to it. They do it to try and exert influence or gain control in communities. 

This attack comes after two teenage boys were reportedly attacked by a group of masked men in a field in Derry on Thursday night.

“I am aware of community concern following last night’s shooting as this is the third paramilitary-style attack in the city within a 48-hour period,” McKenna said.

“Our investigations into each of these attacks are at an early stage and we are following a number of lines of enquiry, however, at this stage we don’t believe the three attacks are linked,” he said. 

McKenna has called on anyone who has information in relation to the attacks to come forward. 

“Think about your own brother or sister, or son or daughter, would you want them becoming a victim of this kind of attack? If you don’t – if you want to stop this sort of behaviour – we need information,” he said. 

Police are appealing to anyone who was in the Mimosa Court area last night and saw three men acting suspiciously, or who has information which could assist the investigation, to call detectives at Strand Road on 101, quoting reference number 2164 of 30/08/19. 

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to UK Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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