By Dipankar De Sarkar
London, Nov 10 (IANS) Four people suffered stab wounds after white and black mobs set upon Muslim South 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 30-strong mobs 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’s Islamic society was unable to confirm if any of the students involved were Indian nationals.

The university did not give out the names of the students, but 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 those wounded in knife attacks, two other men were also beaten in the violence, police said, adding three teenagers have been arrested so far.

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

Reports said that earlier in the week, racist groups shouted abuse at a student going into 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 has 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.”