SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A gang of masked attackers armed with machetes stabbed and killed two boys aged 12 and 15 in a "horrific" attack in the Australian city of Melbourne, police said Sunday.

Up to eight people in a suspected youth gang attacked the children separately in nearby locations in western Melbourne on Saturday evening, they said.

Police were first called to a street where they found a 12-year-old boy who had been stabbed, said Graham Banks, police detective inspector in the state of Victoria.

"Despite resuscitation attempts by paramedics, he was unable to be revived," Banks told a news conference.

Soon after, police found the boy's 15-year-old friend in a nearby street with "significant" stabbing wounds. He could not be saved.

Witnesses and CCTV images indicated the killings were carried out by the same group of up to about eight masked people carrying machetes and knives with long blades, Banks said.

"While the investigation is in its early stage, it has the hallmarks of a youth gang crime," he said.

"It is one of the most horrific crimes in a substantial and growing list of crimes of this nature. The children who were murdered were not gang members, and it's not okay to remain silent."

Police said it was unclear if the attack was targeted or a case of mistaken identity.

Across Australia, homicides and related offenses rose nine percent to 448 victims in 2024, according to official figures.

A fight between rival gangs armed with machetes in the food court of a Melbourne shopping center in May led the state to ban machete sales or ownership.