Three men attacked a worshipper walking home after evening prayers at a mosque in Birmingham in central England on Wednesday, BBC News reported.

The victim, 73, was kicked to the floor on York Road in the Kings Heath area, on Wednesday, the West Midlands Police said. He had fallen during the attack and hit his head on a display board. He is still in hospital.

The attack was reported a week after a suspect set a man on fire as he left a mosque in Birmingham. The police believed the victim was sprayed with an unknown substance and set alight. In February, an 82-year-old man was set on fire outside a mosque in Ealing, London.

The evidence did not suggest the attack was linked to recent incidents near mosques in Edgbaston and Ealing, west London, the force added.

CCTV footage showed that assailants approached the victim from the back after exiting a black vehicle parked on the street and fled after the attack.

“Our thoughts are with the victim and his family at this time,” the Birmingham city council said in a statement. “Ward councillors and the Community Safety team are speaking to the family and West Midlands Police and will continue to offer support.”

It added that the council officers and local councillors have also been engaging with community groups and local mosques to offer support to the wider community.

“We would urge everyone to work with the police and to avoid any speculation at this stage – and would like to thank the local community for their willingness to share information on this incident,” said the joint statement from ward councillors.

The victim’s hand was broken and received cuts on his face, said the police, who added the motive for the attack was not clear.

“This was an appalling attack on a member of the public who was heading home. We’ll be taking a full statement from the victim, who remains in hospital today, and we’ve already got officers in the area recovering CCTV and carrying out house-to-house inquiries,” Sgt Chris Gallon said.

He added that the force was “working hard” to identify the assailants and the car that they were in.

They have described the suspects as two white men and one black man, all aged between 18 and 30 and were wearing tracksuits. A local business owner had gone to help the elderly victim after the attack.

The city’s Green Lane Mosque was “shocked by the attack” and shared their thoughts and prayers with the victim.