Three men in stolen van behind Cardowan 'war zone' attack
Police have revealed that three men in a stolen van were behind a targeted attack in North Lanarkshire which left a street resembling a "war zone".
A Ford Transit van stolen in Glasgow on Saturday was driven at a parked Transit van in Frankfield Road, in Cardowan, Stepps, at about 13:30 on Sunday.
The three men in the parked van got out but were chased and attacked with knives by three men from the other van.
One of the victims remains in hospital. Both vans were also set alight.
Det Insp David Reilly, who is leading the investigation, said the Ford Transit used in the attack had been stolen the previous day in the Ruchazie area of Glasgow.
"This was very much a targeted attack - the suspects in the stolen van knew exactly who they were going for," he said.
"For this to happen at all, never mind in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, is just outrageous.
"Yes, the suspects may have known who they were targeting but there could easily have been other people, including children, in the area - especially with the weather being so nice."
The detective said that "no-one other than the three intended targets were injured"
"They were all taken by ambulance to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary where the 47 and 28-year-old man were treated and have since been released.
"The 45-year-old man remains in hospital where staff describe his condition as stable."
Det Insp Reilly said inquiries were continuing to find the three men responsible, adding: "We believe that they made off from the area into two waiting cars - a black 4x4 and a white saloon car."
The suspects are all described as white. One of them is about 6ft tall and wore a black hooded top with the hood up.
Another had blond hair and wore dark trousers and a dark hooded top.
The third suspect is about 5ft 4in tall, of slim build and was wearing dark clothing, which included a hooded top and dark baseball cap.
Following the attack, photographs posted by local residents on Facebook showed thick black smoke and two burnt-out vans being hosed down by firefighters.
Another posted: "Just dropping the kids off in Cardowan and Frankfield Rd has been closed, it's like a war zone two vans on fire."
Another resident, Frank Kerr, 59, said: "I saw a boy sitting in a paramedic's van. He was covered in blood... and I heard tyres blowing up."
Det Insp Reilly said police had deployed extra patrols to the area and urged anyone with information to speak to them.