A "vulnerable" teenager has been beaten with iron bars in a paramilitary-style attack in Derry.
Police said the 15-year-old boy was set upon by a gang of masked men in the Gartan Square area of Bogside just after midnight on Saturday.
They described it as a "serious and malicious assault", in which the young boy suffered several broken bones.
PSNI Chief Inspector Alan Hutton said: "The assault has all the hallmarks of a paramilitary-style attack, with the assailants all wearing masks.
"These attackers set upon a vulnerable 15-year-old boy with iron bars - and the victim sustained a number of broken bones as a result."
Police have appealed for information.
SDLP councillor John Boyle said: "Anyone would condemn an attack on a person such as this.
"I would express my concerns about this sort of activity, singling out any member of our society for attack is not acceptable."
It is the latest paramilitary-style attack in Derry in recent months.
In March, a man was shot in the Glenowen Park area of the city, close to the Creggan estate.
That attack came days after a 23-year-old man was shot in the leg in a bookmaker's shop on Central Drive, also in the Creggan area.
Children from a nearby youth club witnessed the aftermath of the attack.
