MUMBAI, June 7 -- A 53-year-old airport employee and senior trade union leader was allegedly attacked by a group of eight to ten unidentified men armed with iron rods on the Western Express Highway (WEH) in Vile Parle East on Thursday evening. Police are investigating whether the attack was linked to rivalry between airport employees' unions. The Vile Parle police have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Mohammad Sarwar Mohammed Shamim, 53, a resident of Andheri East, who works with the Adani Group at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Shamim is the executive chairman of the All India Airport Aviation Union and the General Secretary of the Airport Aviation Employees' Union. The union's office is located at the domestic airport. According to the complaint, Shamim had recently persuaded several members from other airport unions to join his organisations. He told police that this had led to friction with rival unions, some of whose members were allegedly unhappy with the shift in allegiance. Police said Shamim had returned to Mumbai on Thursday after being away for a few days. He was travelling to his residence in Marol, Andheri East, in his SUV along with his driver, Dheeraj Thakur. As the vehicle was moving on the northbound carriageway of the Western Express Highway and had taken a U-turn towards the International Airport Road, it encountered traffic on the Andheri bridge approach. "At that point, four motorcycles carrying eight to ten men surrounded the SUV. The assailants allegedly began striking the vehicle with iron rods from the rear and left side, where Shamim was seated in the back seat," said a police officer. Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Shamim immediately locked the vehicle and moved to the right side of the rear seat in an attempt to avoid being injured. He alleged that the attackers repeatedly tried to open the SUV's doors while issuing threats. The attack ended when traffic began to ease and the driver accelerated away from the spot, enabling the duo to escape unharmed. Following the incident, Shamim approached the Vile Parle police, who registered a case against unidentified persons under Sections 189 (unlawful assembly), 190 (liability of members of an unlawful assembly), 191 (rioting), 61 (criminal conspiracy), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 324 (mischief) of the BNS. Police said they are examining the possibility that the attack stemmed from ongoing union rivalry following the induction of members from competing unions into Shamim's organisations. Efforts are underway to identify the attackers....