first strike" policy. This meant in theory that the INLA would not attack anybody unless they were attacked first in which case the INLA would hit back to defend itself from a threat. It claimed it was now only involved in a defensive campaign and to defend Nationalists from loyalist attacks. In 1997 the INLA Belfast Brigade became active once again. In May of that year, they shot dead an off-duty RUC officer Darren Bradshaw as he drank in a gay bar in Belfast's Docks area. During the large-scale rioting in Nationalist areas of Northern Ireland following the 1997 Drumcree march an INLA unit opened fire on British soldiers on patrol in Ardoyne, north Belfast. On 25 September 1997 two INLA units one in south Belfast and the other in west Belfast threw grenades at RUC stations, both of the devices failed to explode. On 27 December 1997 in one of the INLA's most infamous actions, INLA Belfast man Christopher "Crip" McWilliams shot dead Billy Wright the leader of the loyalist paramilitary the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) inside the Maze prison while Wright was being transferred to another part of the prison in a van. In January 1998 the INLA Belfast Brigade shot dead UDA leader Jim Guiney in his carpet shop in Dunmurry. The INLA said the killing was in revenge for the recent killings of Irish Nationalists killed by loyalists. In April the INLA shot dead one of their own Volunteers and father of five Mark McNeill. It is not clear why the killing occurred but it was speculated that the killing was a "grudge killing" or that it might have been a drug related killing. In its last action before they called a ceasefire the INLA Belfast Brigade on 13 July 1998 left two incendiary devices in the Ballynafeigh Orange Hall in which the British security services carried out controlled explosions on the suspect devices. A month later on 24 August 1998 the INLA announced a ceasefire. See also Provisional IRA Belfast Brigade Official IRA Belfast Brigade UDA West Belfast Brigade Sources Jack Holland (writer), Henry McDonald (writer) (1994) INLA – Deadly Divisions Aaron Edwards - UVF: Behind The Mask - Foreword by Martin Dillon References Irish National Liberation Army The Troubles (Northern Ireland) 1975 establishments in Northern Ireland The Troubles in Belfast