A member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland was shot following loyalist disturbances in Northern Ireland last night.
The incident happened in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim and is understood to have followed disturbances involving the Ulster Defence Association.
The police officer was brought to hospital where his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
A second man was also hospitalised following after a serious assault. His condition is unknown.
Police have arrested three men suspected of terrorism after stopping a car nearby.
They were called after reports that a large crowd had gathered at around 10.30pm.
On Friday the UDA held a press conference in Larne, Co Antrim, to say that it was ending criminality in south east Antrim and cracking down on drug peddlers.
A new so-called brigadier has been appointed and a political representative from the Ulster Political Research Group nominated.
Known in the past for factional infighting, the UDA has been linked to drug-dealing and racketeering in Protestant regions.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is considering whether to hand out a multi-million pound fund to loyalists for "community transformation" to encourage peace negotiations.
Social Development minister Margaret Ritchie, from the nationalist SDLP, is consulting ministerial colleagues on the matter but has said any money must be conditional on ending criminality.
UPRG spokesman Frankie Gallagher linked the trouble to a renegade faction of the UDA and said there should be no knee-jerk reaction from politicians.
"The UPRG would, on behalf of all people in our community, totally condemn the criminal acts last night by a minority of people who carried out intimidation against people in the Larne and Carrickfergus areas and shot a policeman in the back.
"The UPRG is calling on all its people to support the police and is appealing for calm amongst its people across Northern Ireland.
"We area also calling for no knee-jerk reaction to this intimidation, it is an action of criminality and our society doesn't want them."