A 13-year-old Muslim girl's hijab was ripped off by a man who called her a "terrorist" and threatened her with a knife in an apparent hate crime attack in the US, police said. The police is investigating the attack as a hate crime that happened last week in the US state of Virginia. They said they think she was targeted "because of her religious attire," the Washington Post reported.

While walking in the Woodbridge area on April 6, the police said, the girl was confronted by a stranger who swore at her and seized her arm. According to police, she reported that he tried to place her arm behind her back , and then placed a small knife against her arms while calling her a terrorist.

They said the girl told them he removed her headscarf and placed a hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. When a motorist came by and saw what was happening, the attacker fled, police said. The girl suffered minor injuries, police said. They said yesterday that they are continuing to investigate.

The incident comes amid a spike in hate crimes and assaults targeting hijab-wearing women across the US.

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