Police shoot at crocodiles charging at men fleeing from officers in Northern Territory's Daly River

Police officers have fired shots at up to three crocodiles to stop them from attacking two men during an on-foot pursuit in the Northern Territory on Friday.

NT Police have been responding to unrest in several communities south of Darwin over the past week, including in Wadeye, Peppimenarti and Daly River.

In a statement this afternoon, the police force said officers on Friday went to a location near the town of Daly River, about 140 kilometres south-west of Darwin, to arrest four people.

It said during the arrest, two men tried to evade officers by jumping into the Daly River "which is known for its significant crocodile population".

"Police were forced to discharge a bean bag and live ammunition rounds in order to prevent charging crocodiles attacking the alleged offenders," the statement said.

"No crocodiles were injured, and the two offenders were lucky as they could have lost their lives as a result of their careless actions."

The spokesman said there were reports of up to three crocodiles involved.

NT Police said in the past week, officers in the region had responded to incidents including a crossbow injury, large group fights and cases of vehicles being stolen and driven erratically.

Extra officers, including from the Territory Response Group (TRG) tactical unit and general-duties police, have been sent to the area in response.

Wadeye, Peppimenarti and Daly River have been experiencing unrest for months, with extra police having already been sent in several times this year.