Freddie Thompson was today still being quizzed by gardai after a young Irish soldier was mutilated on a city street.

Thompson and two of his main henchmen were arrested after the victim was slashed in broad daylight with a carpet cutter.

Officers believe the young army private was targeted because he may have owed the gang money.

He was chased when he stepped from his car, then stabbed and left lying in a massive pool of blood.

It’s unlikely the victim will complain to police.

The mutilation brought terror to what is normally a quiet city street. Increasingly, innocent members of the public are being dragged into the vicious drugs turf war as pipe bomb, grenade and gun attacks become an almost daily occurrence.

Detectives were today still quizzing 'Fat' Freddie Thompson over the brutal Stanley knife mutilation in Dublin.

A member of Freddie's own crew was slashed in the face and stomach and left with horrific scars.

Officers believe the young man was targeted because he owed Freddie's gang money.

"It was absolutely brutal. The guy has terrible injuries but he will live. They used a carpet cutter to cut him up, it's basically a Stanley knife-type blade," said a source today.

The man was cut across the face with a knife and slashed in his stomach, legs and arms.

Investigations into the attack are continuing and the chief suspects are still in garda custody today. But it is not believed the victim was a serious rival gang member, or posed any threat to the Thompson empire.

A young female close to Freddie Thompson was one of those arrested along with the Dublin gang boss.

Also held is the son of a contract killer who gardai believe shot notorious underworld figure Martin Foley earlier this year.

The young hood was captured after a long and valiant chase on foot through the streets of the south inner city by a young uniformed officer.

All the arrests were made by uniformed garda and detectives from Kevin Street and Pearse Street stations, under the command of Chief Supt Fintan Fanning and Detective Superintendent PJ Browne.

Freddie, meanwhile, was just yards from his childhood home in Maryland when he was arrested, on Thursday afternoon, after the man was slashed and knifed in the face and body in a car.

It's unlikely that gardai will be able to link him directly to the attack.

It's also thought to be unlikely that the stabbing victim will make an official complaint.

The incident took place at lunchtime and, within minutes, the area was sealed off as detectives swooped and arrested Thompson, along with three others.

Detectives at the scene described how the gangland kingpin and three others were stopped and arrested in the wake of a targeted attack on a Crumlin man.

They said the victim of the horrific attack was slashed in the face, arm, legs and stomach during the barbaric knife incident. He was left lying in a pool of his own blood as the gang attempted to flee the scene.

"We arrived just seconds after it had happened. We got the call and were on the scene practically straight away.

" We found the man bleeding at the side of a house at Ave Maria Avenue, Maryland," a source told the Herald.

"He was immediately taken to James' Hospital. He'll live, but he was in a bad way."

The victim, from Crumlin in the Republic, is recovering in hospital today following the attack.

Officers believe the army private was attacked, maimed and disfigured by the gang, simply because he may have owed Thompson's outfit money.

The men arrested with Thompson are both members of his gang and have been involved in the Crumlin/Drimnagh feud.

Both men are loyal to the Freddie side of the warring divide.

One of the men, 25-year-old Liam Brannigan from Maryland, is considered by detectives to be a key player in the gang's operation.

The other man arrested with Freddie is a 22-year-old son of a notorious contract killer from the south inner city.

The Herald understands that the woman arrested is a young female pal of Freddie's. Gardai believe she did not actively take part in the knife attack, but may have been the designated "get-away driver".

All of those involved were taken to garda stations across the city where they remain today.

Thompson was initially taken to Kevin Street Garda Station but was later moved to Pearse Street.

The others, a 22-year-old man is detained at Kilmainham Garda Station, while a 25-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman are both detained at Kevin Street Garda Station.