The NT Police have confirmed “significant incidents” including fighting in the Wadeye, Peppimentarti and Daly River communities after the NT Independent’s reporting on the violence, but included little detail of events except that two men jumped into a croc-infested river to evade officers.

The police media unit did not answer questions from the NT Independent for an article published Thursday, instead issuing a press release from Acting Assistant Commissioner Kylie Anderson Friday afternoon, in which she said “over the last week” police had responded to “significant incidents” in the Wadeye, Peppimentarti and Daly River communities, including large groups fighting, an adult male injured with a crossbow, stolen vehicles driving erratically through various communities and a police vehicle sustaining minor damage.

There has been ongoing violence in the area for more than a year, with most of the detail having gone unreported by NT Police and the Territory Government, with a significant amount of the information coming out publicly only after the NT Independent’s reporting.

“Earlier today, police arrested four offenders in the vicinity of Daly River,” Acting Asst Commissioner Anderson said.

“Two of the offenders jumped into the Daly River, which is known for its significant crocodile population, trying to evade police. Those males were subsequently arrested.”

Ms Anderson did not say why they had been arrested or what they would potentially be charged with.

She said extra general duties officers were brought in along with the Territory Response Group.

On Thursday the NT Independent reported multiple sources, including inside police, saying there has been instability in two communities, with people traveling from Wadeye, about 90km by road southwest of the smaller community of Peppimenarti, sparking trouble there too.

It was suggested part of the violence could be due the manslaughter trial of Ezekiel Narndu which has been running this week, sources indicated. He is accused of throwing a metal pole through the face of a 32-year-old man in Wadeye on April 16, last year. He died three days later.

Narndu was alleged to have been part of a large group of people involved in inter-family fighting that day, part of ongoing violence in the town.

One source said that Peppimenarti police had called for backup from Wadeye police on Wednesday night, with officers arriving with assault rifles – which have not been used – for a riot involving about 60 people, some armed with weapons such as spears, knives and machetes.

They said Health Department staff have been, or are in the process of being evacuated, with Education Department staff to follow.

Another source said that about two weeks ago, a Thamurrar Development Corporation employee in Peppimenarti was stabbed and their house ransacked, leading to a subsequent evacuation of the council and the health clinic.