A 51-year-old woman has been hospitalised after being shot with a crossbow in the community of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory on Monday afternoon.
An arrow penetrated the woman's arm and the side of her chest, NT Police said.
She was flown to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.
She is in a stable condition.
Police reinforcements have been sent to the community after the violent incident.
Numbulwar is located about 600 kilometres south-east of Darwin on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
NT Police Watch Commander Siiri Tennosaar said violence flared in the community at 5:00pm on Monday afternoon.
"Police began receiving reports … stating that large groups of persons were gathering to fight and some were armed with crossbows and other weapons," she said.
Watch Commander Tennosaar said police had not identified the cause of the violent unrest, but alluded to "feuding" family groups as one potential trigger.
"It does appear to be some feuding family groups, and we're hopeful some mediation might help in that regard," she said.
"The police are there to try and keep the peace while the elders in family groups tend to discuss matters that are causing the issue."
Police from the neighbouring communities of Minyerri and Ngukurr have been redeployed to Numbulwar to assist local police after the incident.
In Numbulwar in 2016, a police officer pulled out a shotgun and positioned himself between rival groups when up to 100 people, some armed with spears and machetes, were reportedly involved in a confrontation in the town.
