Timeline of dissident activity

A report published on Tuesday by Northern Ireland's Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), which reviews paramilitary activity, has focused on an upsurge in dissident republican attacks.

The report covers the period from March 2009 to August 2009. BBC News Online looks at some of the main incidents in that time.

MARCH

Sappers Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey died in the attack

Two soldiers, Patrick Azimkar and Mark Quinsey, were shot dead in Antrim. The Real IRA were blamed for this attack.

Within 48 hours a policeman, Stephen Carroll, was shot dead in Craigavon.

The IMC mentioned these killings in its last report but is expected to return to them in greater detail.

APRIL

The man was shot in the Rosemount Gardens area of Derry

The Real IRA in Londonderry said it shot a convicted rapist in the legs, one of a series of such attacks in Derry during this time.

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, said dissident republicans had threatened to kill him.

MAY

Dissident republicans were suspected of involvement in a petrol bomb attack on the Derry home of senior Sinn Fein member Mitchel McLaughlin.

JUNE

Conor Murphy, a Sinn Fein MP and minister in Northern Ireland's devolved administration, blamed dissident republicans for an arson attack on his home in south Armagh.

JULY

Protesters threw stink bombs and chanted anti-PSNI slogans

Sinn Fein blamed the Real IRA for orchestrating rioting in north Belfast. At least one shot was fired at police and two blast bombs were thrown.

Dissident republican protestors disrupted a meeting of the District Policing Partnership in Derry.

AUGUST

Armed men set up an illegal checkpoint in the village

A group of armed and masked men, believed to be from a faction of the Real IRA, set up a roadblock in the south Armagh village of Meigh.

They handed out leaflets warning people against co-operating with the security forces on either side of the border.