A crime scene was established following the attack on Friday night. (Instagram: thelifeofalex)

An 18-year-old man has been hospitalised after being attacked with machetes by a group of men at a popular shopping strip in Melbourne’s south-east.

Police say the victim was approached by approximately 12 men while sitting outside a business at Eaton Mall in Oakleigh about 7:45pm on Friday night, before a fight broke out.

Investigators say the men were wearing balaclavas and that at least two of them produced machetes before allegedly assaulting the victim.

“A physical altercation occurred before the group fled the scene on foot,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.

“The male was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

A 16-year-old boy was also assaulted in the attack, but was not injured.

In CCTV footage of the incident, a group of men are seen surrounding and assaulting the victim, before slashing at him with long knives as nearby patrons flee the scene.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Hermans said he had seen the vision, and described the offending as “horrific”.

He backed the work of Victoria Police in tackling knife crime across the state, saying the machete ban was working to get the weapons off the streets.

“Last year we seized 17,000 edged weapons and so far this year we’ve received — or seized — 3,000 edged weapons,” he said.

Detectives have said the attack is being treated as a targeted incident and that the two parties were known to each other. However, police are unable to say if the attack is gang-related.

Assistant Commissioner Hermans said police patrols will be increased in the area in response to the incident.

“It’s highly concerning and there will be obviously a police presence,” he said.

No arrests have been made.