1 day ago
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BBC
Police taped off the street after a shooting incident in West Pilton Bank on Friday.
A suspicious fire in Edinburgh could be linked to the ongoing feud between crime gangs in the city, police have said.
The blaze in the early hours of Sunday in Niddrie followed two cases on Thursday and Friday where shots were fired at another address in Niddrie and in West Pilton Bank.
Police Scotland said it had collected "significant CCTV footage" in connection with a "number" of incidents in the capital.
The force said it understood the spate of crimes was having a "significant impact" on residents.
Scottish Fire and Rescue attended the scene of the fire in the Niddrie area around 04:30 on Sunday and departed around 90 minutes later, with no casualties reported.
Police said the fire was "now also being investigated" as part of the major investigation into the recent shootings.
On Saturday road and vehicle checks across several streets in the Ferry Road, Niddrie and Pennywell areas were carried out by investigating officers.
'Actively targeting'
Supt Paul Gillespie said "every tool and tactic" was being used in the investigation.
He said: "We are taking strong action to disrupt this criminal activity and a lot of work, which may not always be visible, is ongoing. Additional officers are currently deployed to specifically target criminals and disrupt their activities.
"Extensive enquiries are ongoing into a number of incidents in Edinburgh. From our investigations so far, we believe these are linked to groups who are actively targeting each other.
"The local division and senior management are being provided with support from our national specialist crime division and operational support division. We are carrying out additional high-visibility patrols and I would encourage anyone with any concerns to approach these officers.
"We understand the significant impact this has had on the local community and I would like to thank everyone for their help so far.
"Finding those who carried out these reckless acts is paramount. If you know anything that could help, please do the right thing and speak to police."
On Friday police confirmed the two shooting incidents were believed to be the result of "groups who are actively targeting each other".
The Niddrie Marischal Crescent incident occurred about 03:05 on Thursday, with the West Pilton Bank shooting taking place at 07:55 on Friday.
There were no reported injuries in either incident.
