The UDA was formed in September 1971 during one of the most violent phases of The Troubles right after internment without trial was introduced when a number of Loyalist Defense groups combined together . They formed a paramilitary wing , the UFF , in 1972 so the organisation could use the UFF name to carry out violent acts and kill people and keep the UDA name legal by not involving the UDA name with attacks . The UDA/UFF claimed to be combating the Provisional IRA but the majority of its victims ( 85 % ) were innocent Catholic civilians . The UDA carried out its first killing on 20 April 1972 when they shot dead taxi driver Gerard Donnelly ( 22 ) in Ardoyne , Belfast . In October , the group was responsible for the deaths of two small girls when they detonated a car bomb outside an Irish nationalist pub in Sailortown , Belfast , the girls killed were Clare Hughes ( 4 ) and Paula Strong ( 6 )
Irish nationalist pub
Benny's Bar bombing
Top of the Hill bar shooting