Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has condemned an overnight firebomb attack on a Perth mosque, saying federal police will investigate motives for the attack.

On Tuesday night, a suspected petrol bomb exploded outside the Thornlie Mosque in Perth’s south as hundreds of worshippers attended a prayer service.

No one was injured when the four-wheel-drive exploded.

According to the AAP, the fire spread to three other vehicles and anti-Islamic graffiti was written on a wall of the associated Australian Islamic College on Tonbridge Way in Thornlie just before 8pm.

Ms Bishop told reporters on Wednesday that the attack appears to be politically motivated.

“An attack outside a mosque would appear to be motivated by political events,” she said.

“The Australian government condemns any form of violence and we will work exceedingly hard to ensure Australians are kept safe.”

WA Police say they are searching for three people who were seen fleeing from the scene after the attack.

Yahya Adel Ibrahim, from the mosque, wrote on Facebook that “a suspected petrol bomb” was to blame and “hate fuelled graffiti put on the wall”.

“Thankfully our community won’t start hating and playing blame games and singling out groups of people in our society. This, undoubtedly is a criminal act of hate, but it is the act of a person or group not the greater whole,” Mr Ibrahim said.

“I know the outpouring of support from the community will be overwhelming because Perth has the best, kindest, and most warm-hearted people.”

He also thanked police and firefighters for the way they responded to the attack.

– TiVi Tuan-san