Two men have also been arrested on suspicion of murder following the killings, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers in Leeds responded to a report a man had been stabbed in Hill Top Avenue, Harehills, at around 11.06am on Saturday and found him in the neighbouring Back Hill Top Avenue, where he was pronounced dead.

The second man was found at a nearby home with serious injuries and was taken to hospital where he died a short time later.

A third man, 46, was found to have a hand injury and was arrested on suspicion of murder before being taken to hospital for treatment.

A 48-year-old man was also held on suspicion of murder.

Specialist searches and a forensics examination has been carried out of the area as part of the ongoing police inquiry.

Detective Chief Superintendent Sarah Jones, the senior investigating officer, said: "Clearly, it is an absolute tragedy for two men to have lost their lives like this in such a sudden and violent way, and we will be doing everything we can to establish the full circumstances and see that those responsible are brought to justice.

"We have now been able to identify both of these men.

"One is a 53-year-old who lived locally, and we have specialist trained officers supporting his family.

"The other is a 65-year-old man and inquiries are ongoing to trace his family."

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She added: "Our investigation is still in its very early stages, and we are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed any part of this incident or who has any information that could assist our inquiries.

"We appreciate that an incident like this will cause understandable concern in the community, and we are continuing to liaise with our colleagues at Leeds district, who are providing an increased presence in the area to reassure residents and will be keeping local representatives updated."