Six people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two stabbings in Rochdale.
Police made the arrests after carrying out warrants at seven homes in Moston, Ardwick, Newton Heath, Blackley, and Openshaw this morning (February 5).
They found a crossbow with ammunition, three machetes and a stab proof vest at one of the properties.
A quantity of cannabis was found at another.
Three men - aged 20, 18 and 18 - two 17-year-old boys and a 19-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder
All six remain in custody for questioning.
The arrests follow two serious assaults in Rochdale in December 2020.
Detectives believe the incidents are the result of a feud between two rival groups.
The first happened at around 7.15pm on December 17 when a teenager was stabbed in Tweedale Street.
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and was discharged three days later.
More than a week later, on December 28 just after 11.30pm, police were called to reports of a stabbing followed by a crash on the same street.
A 21-year-old man was taken to hospital with lacerations to his arm and torso.
He also had a broken arm. He was discharged two days later.
Officers made the arrests this morning as part of Operation Adelite - a crackdown on criminal groups involved in serious crime in Rochdale.
They were assisted by the Tactical Aid Unit and GMP's Tactical Dog Unit.
Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers.
Detective Inspector Karl Ward, of GMP's Rochdale Challenger team, said: "This morning's raids are the result of an extensive amount of investigative work following a concerning trend of serious assaults recently, particularly around the Freehold area of the town.
"It concerns me greatly to see young people involved in assaults where bladed weapons have been used to commit violent attacks. It is absolutely vital that we do all we can to remove this threat and to take such dangerous items off our streets.
"It is important that people feel safe in their communities, and we have done an enormous amount of work with our local authority partners to reduce the risk to young people living in the Freehold area.
"These arrests represent a positive step in sending that reassurance message. Knife crime will not be tolerated, and we will continue to work tirelessly to bring those who choose to engage in such activities to justice.
"While we have arrested six people today, I would encourage the public to continue to report incidents of concern so that we can take appropriate action with the assistance of our partner agencies."
Anyone with information should call 0161 856 8487. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
