Gardaí have arrested four men and a woman and are looking for another suspect following an incident where two officers were attacked and hit with stones and rocks in east Cork.

The incident happened when gardaí on patrol stopped two men walking on the road at Mount Uniacke outside Killeagh in east Cork around 11.30pm on Sunday.

The two gardaí were talking to the men when a car pulled up. When gardaí went to the car to make inquiries they were attacked by the car’s occupants.

A garda sergeant was hit on the head by a rock which fractured a bone near his eye, while his colleague suffered cuts and lacerations to the head when he was hit by stones.

The garda patrol car was also rammed.

The occupants of the car and the men on the road took off as the two injured gardaí called for assistance. The car then rammed another garda patrol car at Mount Uniacke Village.

The gardaí were taken to Cork University Hospital, where both received treatment for their injuries. The garda sergeant was detained in hospital for observation while his colleague was discharged.

Gardaí from Midleton identified the men as coming from the Dungourney area and there was a stand-off for several hours as gardaí sought to arrest a number of suspects.

Armed members of the Regional Support Unit provided back up during the stand-off, which lasted over two hours before four men and a woman gave themselves up.

The group was arrested and brought to Midleton, Fermoy and Cobh Garda stations for questioning.

Gardaí also seized a number of weapons, a car and cash following the stand-off.