Police have said they believe the UVF was behind a security alert in North Belfast, which forced Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney from the stage at a peacebuilding event.
Mr Coveney was taken to a "secure location" after The Houben Centre on Crumlin Road was evacuated on Friday morning.
At the time, Mr Coveney was speaking at the Building Common Ground event, organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation, when a hijacked van was driven to the site.
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On Friday night, Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said loyalist paramilitaries are the chief suspects, namely the UVF, and he described the incident as "disgraceful".
The white Vauxhall Vivaro van was hijacked in Sydney Street West off the Shankill Road sometime between 9am and 10am when the driver was threatened by two gunmen and forced to drive a short distance to another street where a device was placed in the vehicle.
Believing that he was carrying a live bomb and that his family was being threatened, the victim was then ordered to drive to Holy Cross Church where a funeral service was taking place, which was also disrupted.
Over 25 homes and a nearby nursing home were evacuated while local schools were also impacted, according to the PSNI.
The device found at the scene was later declared a hoax and the driver of the van was taken for hospital treatment but there are no details of his condition.
Mr McEwan added: "At this early stage of the investigation, our assessment is that these crimes were carried out by loyalist paramilitary groups. We're keeping an open mind but one of the primary lines of investigation is the UVF."
He also issued an appeal for anyone with information about the event, gun men or movements of the van registration XJZ 7908, in the areas of Sidney Street West and Holy Cross Church, to come forward to police.
The Crumlin Road was closed from Cambrai Street to the roundabout at Twadell Avenue for several hours with motorists advised to avoid the area, and bus diversions were also in place.
A heavy police presence remained in the area for most of Friday afternoon while several controlled explosions were carried out at the scene.
Mr Coveney had just started addressing the gathering about the importance of reconciliation in Northern Ireland when he abruptly ended his speech.
He was ushered from the room, which was quickly cleared as police put an exclusion zone in place.
Soon after those at the event were evacuated, Mr Coveney tweeted: "In Belfast with @Humefoundation to honour John & Pat’s legacy of peace for all communities.
"Saddened & frustrated that someone has been attacked & victimised in this way and my thoughts are with him & his family. My thanks to @PoliceServiceNI".
Tim Attwood was one of those evacuated from the Houben Centre. He was present as Secretary of the John and Pat Hume Foundation who organised the Build The Common Ground event.
He told Belfast Live: “Unfortunately the event has had to be cancelled due to a security alert. Sadly it seems there are still a few people who do not see the merit in supporting the legacy of John and Pat Hume in continuing to build peace, but our message is loud and clear - we will not be deterred.”
The security alert led to widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum.
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said most people "want to get on with their lives and have no truck with those who cling to violence".
Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill also condemned those involved, adding: "Those determined to cause instability and disruption will not succeed. Those of us committed to peace will not be deterred."
Church of Ireland Archbishop the Rev John McDowell described the incident as shameful.
"Peace and stability in Northern Ireland are maintained and advanced through good relationships at all levels within Ireland and across these islands, and there is no place for violence or the threat of violence in our society," he said.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described it as a "worrying situation", tweeting: "These mindless thugs won't deter the John and Pat Hume Foundation from carrying out their work to further peace."
Former UUP Leader Mike Nesbitt, who was in attendance as a trustee of the John & Pat Hume Foundation, said: “I was born and bred in this city and am proud to say so. I view what happened this morning with anger and disgust in equal measure.
“If you want to protect the Union, you should realise that denying free speech to a democratically elected minister from a neighbouring state plays directly into the Irish Republican narrative. Today was an own goal by faceless, nameless and frankly brainless individuals.”
Earlier this week, the level of terrorism threat from dissident republicans in Northern Ireland was lowered from severe to substantial for the first time in 12 years.
The assessment, announced by Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis but made independently by the security service MI5, was praised by Mr Coveney when he appeared alongside Mr Lewis after a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in Dublin.
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