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Which groups fought during the Troubles in Northern Ireland?
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the Troubles
Local people walking past a British soldier on guard in Northern Ireland, August 1969.
The Troubles was a violent sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland from approximately 1968 to 1998, primarily involving two opposing sides: nationalist republicans and unionist loyalists, alongside state security forces.1
Nationalist/Republican Groups
- Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provos): A splinter group that emerged in 1969, the Provos became the primary paramilitary organization for nationalists, utilizing guerrilla warfare to seek an end to British rule and the reunification of Ireland.23
- Official IRA: An earlier faction that eventually moved toward parliamentary tactics and ceased military operations in 1972.23
Unionist/Loyalist Groups
- Loyalist Paramilitaries: These groups fought to maintain Northern Ireland’s union with the United Kingdom, most notably the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).2
State Security Forces
The conflict also involved state forces, which acted in a peacekeeping capacity while simultaneously engaging in security operations:
* British Army: Deployed in 1969, it played a central and controversial role in the region.14
* Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC): The police force, which was overwhelmingly drawn from the unionist community.14
* Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR): A locally recruited regiment that later merged into the Royal Irish Regiment.14