Two more cafes in Montreal were firebombed Monday morning, bringing the total of similar incidents to eight in the last month and leaving investigators scratching their heads as to the motive behind the attacks.

All of the cafes are Italian, except for Café Nouba, which was fire-bombed for the second time Monday morning around 6:30 a.m.

It was first attacked on Nov. 15.

The owner of Café Nouba, who is originally from Greece, told CTV Montreal's Stephane Giroux that his restaurant may have been attacked because of a possible grudge against a former business partner.

"My ex-partner doesn't work here anymore so it shouldn't happen anymore," he said.

His restaurant has only been in business for about a month.

Just 30 minutes after Café Nouba was struck, a second business, Café Vegas, was targeted. The two received very little damage and no one was injured.

The string of Molotov cocktail attacks began in October. All the restaurants are located within a 15-minute drive of each other.

Police say mob turf wars, street gangs or copycat arsonists could be involved, but don't know for sure because the business owners are keeping mum.

"getting the information is a little bit difficult these days," said police spokesperson Andre Leclair.

Renaud Poulin, president of an association that represents 1,800 bars in Quebec, said it would be easier for café owners to speak with police if they had a better relationship.

"When business owners know and trust the police, it's easier to co-operate," he said.

In the 1990s, Quebec bars and restaurants were being continuously attacked as a biker gang turf war escalated.

Business owners relied on a police squad specially assigned to investigating the incidents, which would do random, unannounced checks in restaurants, but the unit has since been disbanded.

Earlier this week, Poulin said silence is a step back in the fight against intimidation tactics for protection money to be paid to organized crime.

"The owners aren't collaborating (now) and that sets a poor image. It gives the impression that they are directly involved in all of it," he said.

"I understand that owners might be afraid, but they can work with police in a discreet way."

With files from CTV Montreal's Stephane Giroux and The Canadian Press