A 17-year-old boy was assaulted in a homophobic attack carried out by two unidentified suspects in a homophobic attack in Lakatamia, Nicosia, shortly after midnight on Thursday.

“We are investigating the case as a homophobic incident,” police told the Cyprus Mail, confirming that the motive behind the assault is being treated as discriminatory in nature.

According to the police, the boy had been walking alone in the Lakatamia area when two people passing by in a car stopped by and physically attacked the teenager, leaving him injured.

The 17-year-old later reported the case to the police accompanied by his father.

As of now, it remained unclear how the assailants identified the boy or what led them to target him, a police spokesman said.

Police confirmed that the investigation into the assault is currently ongoing.