An Abbotsford man suffered serious slash wounds after being jumped by two suspects in a random knife attack on Saturday night.

The victim was left with three deep gashes to his thigh, chest and arm and required 33 staples to close the wounds, said Const. Ian MacDonald.

Police are "extremely concerned" by the attack, said MacDonald.

"It appears to be a random act of violence at the high end of the scale," he said.

"We believe it's outrageous and disappointing that acts like this are taking place in our city."

The 33-year-old man was walking along the north sidewalk in the 31400 block of Maclure Road around 6: 45 p.m. when two men grabbed him from behind. The man who was wearing headphones at the time was completely surprised by the one-sided attack, said MacDonald.

"There he is minding his own business, and the next thing he knows, he's getting tuned up," he said.

"One man held the victim's arms and the other slashed at him with what we believe is a knife because he gets opened up."

A passing motorist may have saved the man's life after stopping and honking the horn, causing the attackers to flee.

Covered in blood, the man stumbled his way to a nearby gas station and tried to continue on towards a friend's house before a witness called 911.

The suspects are described as South Asian males in their early 20s, around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. Both men were clean-shaven but one was wearing a white baseball cap.

The attackers made no demands for money, made no racial comments, and none of the victim's possessions were taken, said MacDonald.

The victim, who is an alternative rock musician and has tattoos, believes the attackers may have thought he was associated to a motorcycle gang because he was wearing a biker-style vest associated with a local music club.

"Now he's really concerned other members of the music club could suffer a similar fate," said MacDonald, adding up to 30 other people have the same vest.

"This is a music club and they are not involved in motorcycle club or crime."

The APD is releasing an image of the vest in question as a precautionary measure to ensure there are no more attacks. Regardless what the assailants believed, there is no excuse for the "purposeful" attack, said MacDonald.

"He's an upstanding citizen. We're not talking about a transient punch," he said.

RBaker@abbotsfordtimes.com