Five persons at Buipe in the Northern region are in critical condition at the Yazuri Hospital, following injuries they sustained during a bloody machete clash over a stolen cow Saturday afternoon, local police have said.

The victims include three Fulani herdsmen and two local farmers, an eyewitness said.

According to the Central Gonja district deputy Police commander, ASP Kwame Boadi the victims hacked themselves with cutlasses in a disagreement over a cow.

ASP Boadi narrated to Starr News that the Fulani herdsmen were searching for their lost cow when they found the two locals in a bush at a community called Lito butchering an animal.

The herdsmen upon suspicion confronted the farmers and according to ASP Boadi, a confusion ensued and the five violently attacked themselves with cutlasses and inflicted wounds to very sensitive parts of their bodies.

"The Fulanis own the cattle and the two locals; one Gonja and one Dagomba stole their cow, so when they were looking for the cow, they saw these two men who had started cutting the meat of the animal, they confronted them and a fight ensued between five of them and they hacked themselves," ASP Kwame Boadi.

The five are currently being treated for first degree wounds at the hospital.

The Police said they will face investigations after they recuperate.