A man has been arrested after the attempted murder of two police officers in Belfast.
Police accused the 22-year-old of attacking the officers with a knife at an address in the south of the city in the early hours of this morning.
Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton described it as an "unprovoked knife attack on both officers".
"Two of our officers attended an address in the Ormeau Road area, providing assistance to a vulnerable member of the public," he said.
One had his face slashed while the other was stabbed in the neck before being taken to hospital for treatment, Mr Singleton said.
He added: "It's sobering to think just how lucky we are not to have lost these officers.
"We're supporting them, their families and colleagues, ensuring they receive the appropriate care and welfare support.
"This incident serves as a timely reminder of the very real threat of serious violence our police officers face each and every day.
"All this is happening while they are seeking to protect the public and working incredibly hard to keep our communities safe.
"Officers regularly step forward into the unknown, placing the public's safety ahead of their own. That's not something that any of us should take for granted.
"Assaults on our officers are never acceptable and should be condemned."
The suspected attacker was still in custody at lunchtime.
SDLP MP for South Belfast Claire Hanna said that the incident underlines the growing demand and complexity of calls that the police are handling.
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, she said so many such incidents relate to mental health issues, and in many cases she said police are "picking up the slack of political and public service failures in terms of health and mental health".
She said police officers are stretched, moreso this week as it was announced that there will be hundreds of cuts in officer numbers due to financial pressures, adding she was sure police are feeling "unloved and under pressure".
She added that there needs to be a reduction in the complexity of issues that police have to deal.
