A PSNI officer was hospitalised with a head injury after being struck by a brick as he attended an altercation between a group of youths near the Westlink on Thursday night.
Young people were reported to have run on to the dual carriageway during the disorder.
A senior PSNI officer condemned the attack on a colleague, who is now unfit to work after suffering a gash to the head.
Chief Inspector Claire Hamilton said: “My thoughts are with our colleague who has our full support as he recovers from this injury.
“Our officers were attending to bring order to this situation and protect these young people from harm as they were running through traffic.
“Attacks and assaults on us will not be tolerated and should be condemned by all. We deal with difficult situations every day and are here to help. Assaults on police officers will not be tolerated and will never accepted as being ‘part of the job’.
“In regards to this report in the Westlink, I am appealing to parents to know where your children are and do all you can to stop them becoming involved in anti-social behaviour.
The incident follows a series of sectarian clashes in the area involving groups of youths from both sides of the community.
“Officers continue to work alongside partner agencies, local representatives and the community to find collaborative and proactive solutions to address the problem,” CI Hamilton said.
“We are committed to working towards a solution and welcome any information from the public and local elected representatives to inform what we are doing.
“Our officers will continue to provide a visible policing presence throughout west Belfast. Anyone with information from last night, if you witnessed what was happening in the Distillery Court area at around 8.30pm or if you have dash-cam footage, call us on 101.”
