(CNN) Counter-terrorism police have launched an investigation after five mosques in the British city of Birmingham were attacked on Thursday.

West Midlands Police first responded to reports of a man smashing the windows of a mosque in the north of the central English city with a sledgehammer at 2:32 a.m. When officers arrived at the scene they discovered the attack had taken place some time earlier.

In less than an hour, police were subsequently called to reports of a similar attack on a mosque nearby, and officers then began patrols around two other places of worship, where they discovered further damage.

Unfortunately the Witton Road Islamic Centre was attacked overnight by an individual who used a sledgehammer to break the windows.



I said last week that Muslims were afraid after the terrorist attacks in #ChristChurch



We need support in Brum @WMPolice. pic.twitter.com/7RjTqjRXbx — Cllr Majid Mahmood 🌹 (@CllrMajid) March 21, 2019

At 10:03 a.m. officers were called to another mosque following reports of a fifth attack in which windows had been smashed.

West Midlands police announced that they are treating the attacks as being "linked," but noted that the motive remains under investigation.

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