In pictures: Belfast's tense streets

A recent upsurge in violence in Belfast between loyalist paramilitary groups threatens to escalate to other areas of Northern Ireland.

A rare sight, soldiers are on duty once again on the streets of Belfast

Police have been carrying out spot checks on the Shankill Road, which has been at the centre of the feuding

The Lower Shankill Road: Loyalist territorial battles have flared up into violence

There was a tense atmosphere on the streets of Belfast, following the recent violence

Two men were shot in Belfast in an escalation of a dispute between the loyalist factions