The victims of a double stabbing in Salford were attacked by a gang of men with weapons. The incident was one of a number which made up a wave of violence at the weekend.
The two men were stabbed before their attackers smashed up the parked car they were sat in. They were in an Audi A1, on a busy main route from Manchester to the Bury suburbs, when they were attacked on Friday evening.
Police have now revealed that a gang of possibly three men, who were also in a car launched the attack. They were armed with machetes, baseball bats, and wrenches. The two victims were both stabbed twice.
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Police were alerted at 8.15pm on Friday to the incident. Both victims required hospital treatment and are said to be in a stable condition. One of the injured males was later arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs.
GMP said that at this stage there are no descriptions of the attackers, and it is not known if the victims were lured to the location which was near the junction with New Hall Road in the Broughton Park area. They added it was "not linked to any recorded incidents at this time."
Detectives are trying to establish if the incident is gangland dispute, a vigilante style attack or "taxing" where one gang robs another.
Just two and a half hours later a gunman opened fire in Halliwell Lane, Cheetham Hill, less than a mile away. No one was injured. The two incidents are not being linked.
Meanwhile more information has been released about a shooting in Oldham at 6pm, also on Friday. A man had a remarkable escape after being blasted at point-blank range by another man armed with a shotgun. The shooter fired twice through the driver's window of the target's car on Broadbent Road, Oldham, off the A672 Ripponden Road. Kingsland School, a pupil referral unit, was located within a cordon set up by police at the scene.
The offender and the victim made off from the scene. Police have confirmed officers have since located the victim, a man in his 40s, safe and well. He does not wish to co-operate with the investigation, they said.
Police now say the gunman arrived in the street by car. It was not believed to be a pre-arranged meeting. The victim was parked up and the gunman appeared firing through the open window.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Cottam, from GMP’s Oldham district, said: "This was clearly a distressing incident for those nearby who will no doubt have heard the noise from the incident where it’s believed a shot gun was used.
"There’s no place for firearms on the streets of Greater Manchester and we have a number of officers and detectives in force working every day to bring those responsible for possessing, transferring or using firearms to justice."
On Saturday two men were left seriously injured after a stabbing in south Manchester. Emergency services were scrambled to the scene on Parrs Wood Road in Didsbury on Saturday afternoon. The road was cordoned off by police officers.
Police confirmed that two men - aged 46 and 48 - were taken to hospital from the scene with knife wounds. They remain there in a serious condition. An ambulance arrived at the scene at 2.30pm, followed by police.
Inquiries are on-going into all the incidents and anyone with information on any of the five incidents can contact GMP on LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk or call 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
