An unidentified aggressor assaulted and robbed three women on Thursday night, according to an advisory released by the Cambridge Police Department on Friday.

“These incidents are particularly troublesome because the victims were assaulted during the robberies,” CPD spokesperson Daniel M. Riviello wrote in an email to The Crimson.

The first victim, a female in her twenties, was assaulted at approximately 10:15 p.m. “in the area of Appleton Street,” according to the CPD advisory. The victim reported feeling a blow to her head and then having her cell phone stolen.

The second incident occurred at approximately 10:45 p.m. near Kirkland and Holden Streets. Two females in their twenties stated that an aggressor approached and then knocked them to the ground before taking the cell phone of one of the victims.

Riviello wrote that, at this time, CPD believes the two incidents may be related, and wrote that the department is actively investigating the robberies. Currently, the suspect is believed to be male and acting alone.

Harvard University Police Department distributed the CPD advisory to the Harvard community via email Satuday afternoon.

“We are aware of the robberies and have stepped up our patrols in the area of Harvard Square,” HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano wrote in an email to The Crimson.

Riviello wrote that anybody who has information about the case is invited to contact CPD.

—Staff writer Antonio Coppola can be reached at antonio.coppola@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @AntonioCoppolaC.

—Staff writer John P. Finnegan can be reached at finnegan@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @finneganspake.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sept. 28, 2013

An emailed breaking news alert circulating this article Saturday afternoon included as its header the text “Watertown Shootings.” In fact, there were no shootings associated with the assault and robbery of three women in Cambridge Thursday night. The heading, erroneously included in Saturday’s breaking news alert, referred to the Watertown shootings connected with the manhunt for the Boston marathon bombings suspect last April.