The man in his 20s was left with a serious head injury after he was attacked in the Donegall Road area at around 9.30pm. A second man suffering injuries to his face which are not believed to be life threatening.
Councillor Paula Bradshaw said: “I must condemn this disturbing attack, which has left a young man seriously ill.
“My thoughts are with the two victims as they recover from this ordeal and while local people have been left shocked by what has happened, the thugs responsible will not damage their good community spirit.
“I would urge anyone with information to contact the PSNI as soon as possible so those responsible can be brought to justice.”