SINGAPORE - Two men have been arrested after a police manhunt for two suspects who had used weapons to attack two men in Boon Lay Drive.

In a statement, the police said the duo, aged 20 and 21, were arrested at 4.05pm on Thursday (April 7) in Woodlands Street 12.

The police said the arrests came after officers from the Jurong Division and Criminal Investigation Department conducted extensive ground inquiries, aided by images from police cameras and closed-circuit televisions.

Preliminary investigations showed that the duo are known to the two victims, police said earlier on Thursday when announcing the manhunt.

The police had received a call for help at Block 175 Boon Lay Drive at about 5pm on Wednesday.

The two injured men, aged 22 and 23, were conscious when they were taken to hospital.

In videos circulating on social media, two men can be seen wielding long-bladed weapons at a carpark.

In one video, someone is heard shouting that the police have been alerted. The duo are seen pacing back and forth, before fleeing the scene.

One of the victims appeared to have blood streaming down his face.

There has been a string of recent violent incidents in public spaces involving bladed weapons like swords, knives and razor blades.

Earlier this week, a man was caught on video retrieving a pointed silver-coloured object from a car during a scuffle near Katong Square shopping mall in East Coast Road.

On March 14, a 37-year-old man armed with a sword was caught on video near Buangkok Square mall swinging the weapon and stopping traffic.

He attacked a pedestrian before members of the public restrained him until the police arrived and arrested him. The pedestrian was injured.

In another incident, on March 23, a knife-wielding man refused to drop his weapon and continued advancing towards police officers.

Three Taser shots were fired at the 64-year-old, but he continued moving towards the officers. As there was an imminent threat to the safety of the officers, one of them fired his pistol, hitting the man in the chest. The man was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Addressing concerns about public safety following the recent spate of incidents, Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan told Parliament on Monday that the number of knife-related crimes involving murder, robbery, rioting and serious hurt has remained relatively constant in recent years.

He added that it has averaged about 150 annually for the past five years.

In urgent incidents, including those involving dangerous weapons, the police are generally able to respond within 15 minutes of a call, he said.

Mr Tan said the Ministry of Home Affairs regulates six items under the Arms and Explosives Act – swords, spears, spearheads, daggers, bayonets, and dangerous bows and arrows.

This list will be expanded to include items like knuckledusters and flick knives when the Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act replaces the Act later this year.

Regulated items will be subject to greater control, including the regulation of sales on e-commerce platforms, added Mr Tan.

He also addressed the fatal shooting of the knife-wielding man last month, saying police may use lethal force when a person refuses to comply with police instructions and poses a threat to the lives of those around him.

• Additional reporting by Ng Keng Gene