A man has been shot in the arm with a crossbow bolt as residents of a remote community brawled with bladed weapons during days of unrest.
Northern Territory Police responded to reports of a clash involving up to 15 people in the early hours of Wednesday at Wadeye, 395km southwest of Darwin.
The group was dispersed, with a 34-year-old man later presenting at the health centre with a crossbow bolt lodged in his arm, police said in a statement.
He was taken to Darwin by a CareFlight aircraft for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Police believe the incident was linked to a dispute in the Indigenous community that began on Monday, with a brawl watched by up to 100 people.
The crowd was dispersed with the help of community elders and police seized two edged weapons.
A 22-year-old woman suffered a foot injury during the violence and was flown to Darwin by CareFlight while a 24-year-old woman was treated at the Wadeye health clinic for minor wrist injuries.
The Wadeye brawls follow recent unrest in the remote Arnhem communities of Maningrida and Ramingining.
Police said on Monday the early January fighting in Maningrida was driven by social media posts and retributions and involved more than 200 people, some armed with bladed weapons.
Officers made 10 arrests, including a 31-year-old man charged with recklessly endangering life after he sped through the community and allegedly nearly struck a police vehicle before crashing.
Just before Christmas brawls involving up to 40 people erupted in Ramingining, with several people injured and one man charged with aggravated assault.
Police have urged community leaders and elders to work with officers to calm tensions and prevent further disturbances.
