A man was beaten with a club early yesterday morning by a group of five masked men who confronted him in Apple Alley, authorities said.

The man, who would not identify himself, was not hurt in the attack, the State College Bureau of Police Services said.

The victim, a Fairmount Avenue resident, told police he was walking south in Apple Alley at about 1:45 yesterday morning when five men wearing black hats and scarves pulled up over their faces fanned out across the alley blocking his path. One of the men started beating him with a club, the victim said.

The man said he was hit in the head at least two times with the club. He said he did not know how many of the men participated in the assault, police said.

The man crawled under a car that was parked nearby and the assailants continued the attack, beating his legs with the weapon, police said.

The victim said he heard the sound of chains clinking during the attack, leading police to believe attackers used a weapon called nun chakus -- two wooden poles bound together by a link chain.

Police received another report by telephone in which a caller said he was confronted at the intersection of Locust Lane and Nittany Avenue by five men who fit the description of the earlier assault. The caller would not identify himself, police said.

Authorities said the two incidents happened within minutes of each other.