Cafe Crystèle, on 17th Avenue and Villeray St. in Montreal is one of nine establishments hit by Molotov cocktails this past month. (Graham Hugues/Canadian Press)A Molotov cocktail was thrown into a Montreal café early Tuesday morning, the latest in a string of arson attempts targeting cafés and bars across the island.

Authorities were alerted after a burglar alarm went off at Café Ferrari, on André-Ampère Avenue in Rivière-des-Prairies.

Police "found that the window was broken, and someone [had gone] inside," said Const. Olivier Lapointe. "Then they noticed it wasn't a regular break and enter, when someone just wants to steal."

Police suspect the Molotov cocktail attacks may be related, possibly part of an underworld turf war. (CBC)The flaming device sparked a small fire that went out on its own, Lapointe said. The café was empty at the time.

Tuesday's incident is the ninth firebombing attempt in three weeks, all targeting Montreal cafés and bars. Police have said they suspect the attacks are linked, and could be connected to a turf war involving Montreal's underworld.

"What we need to know is not only who's doing it, but why they're doing it," said Const. André Leclerc.

Many owners have been reluctant to speak out about the serial attacks. Peter Sergakis, president of the Union of Quebec Bar Owners, publicly urged them on Monday to co-operate with police before attacks escalate.

John Zoumis, whose business was hit on Monday, said he's confident his case was an isolated incident.

The latest attack was worrisome for Julie Boudreault who was dropping her two children off at a daycare four doors down from Café Ferrari Tuesday morning.

"It is kind of shocking seeing this here," Boudreault said. "Hopefully they'll do it once at this café, and that'll be it. And they can maybe move on to somewhere else — far, far away."

But Gilles Beaudet, who has lived down the street from the bar for 17 years, said he was not surprised by the incident.

"There is always something happening in this area … it has always been like this," Beaudet said.