SELANGOR - A youth and two friends were brutally attacked by a group of men, leaving him with an almost severed hand.

The attack took place at Rawang Perdana, some 100m from the house of a friend they had just visited at 11.30pm on Saturday.

The victims, who were on motorcycles, were confronted and asked to pull over by the group of more than 10 men who then viciously attacked them with parang, sticks and metal rods.

One of the three - a 17-year-old - was stabbed in the hip and his left hand was almost severed from the wrist.

His friends sustained only minor injuries. Their motorcycles were also smashed.

The youth was rushed to the Selayang Hospital and underwent an eight-hour operation to re-attach his hand.

He was reported to be in stable condition.

Gombak police chief Asst Comm Abdul Rahim Abdullah said that police had identified 20 suspects and efforts were under way to pick them up.

"The motive of the attack has yet to be established," he said.

-The Star/Asia News Network