By Dipankar De Sarkar
London, Nov 10 (IANS) Four people suffered stab wounds after a mob of white and black youths set upon Muslim Asian students - including at least six of Indian origin - near the prestigious City University in north London, police and student groups said Tuesday.

Three students and a passerby who tried to intervene had to be hospitalised with facial and head injuries when a 30-strong mob armed with knives, metal poles, bricks and sticks attacked South Asian students Thursday, police said.

A spokeswoman for the university, which is ranked among the world’s top 500 and has a large number of international students - including many from India - said the university did not have the “record of nationalities from the police incident report”.

Asked to check the nationalities against their names in the university records, she said: “I do not think that would be appropriate.”

However, a spokesman for a nationwide body of Muslim students told IANS those targeted by the mobs included at least six students of Indian origin.

“We are trying to find out if any of them are Indian nationals,” said Qasim Rafiq of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS).

Apart from the stabbing victims, two other men were also beaten in the violence, police said, adding three teenagers had been arrested so far.

Although the attackers were said to include blacks as well as whites, the incident comes amid a surge in violence instigated by white extremist groups in urban areas with large non-white populations, including London, its suburbs and Manchester.

Police said that earlier in the week, racists shouted abuse at a student going to a prayer room at the university, and later attacked him and other students escorting him to the underground train station.

One student suffered a fractured skull in the incident.

Detective Inspector Trevor Borley of the local Islington force said police patrolling in the area had been increased and “we are taking this matter very seriously”.

Rafiq said: “We believe these attacks involved the same group but there have been sporadic attacks at other universities over the last year,” adding the gang repeatedly shouted out “Get those Muslims” and “Paki”.

City University Acting Vice Chancellor Julius Weinberg said: “We’re shocked and saddened that some of our students have been the victims of an attack near the University,” but added that London is “on the whole a safe, friendly and welcoming city”.