TORONTO -- Police have made one arrest and are looking for nine teens following an alleged assault, described as a suspected hate crime against two Jewish boys in Toronto.

Investigators say the incident happened on Sunday evening, when four 17-year-old boys were walking through a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood and wearing yarmulkes.

Police allege another group of young people made derogatory comments to the boys about their religion, and began punching and kicking two of them.

Investigators say the suspects split up and ran away, and the alleged victims were treated for their injuries at the scene.

They say officers found one of the suspects, and are looking for nine others who are described as being in their early teens.

Toronto Mayor John Tory tweeted that nobody should be "attacked for their religion," and asked for anyone with information about the incident to call police.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it was "deeply disturbed" by what it described as the "vile assault on Jewish teens."

"Jewish Canadians should never fear wearing their Kippah in public," vice-president Noah Shack said in a statement, noting that his organization's security team was in contact with Toronto police.