Pair bashed in Sydney gang robbery

Two men have been assaulted and robbed by a gang in Sydney's southwest.

The 24-year-old and 19-year-old men were walking in a laneway off Brooks Street in Macquarie Fields just before 3am on Sunday when they were approached by a group of five men.

The group surrounded the pair and demanded cigarettes, before forcing them to the ground while punching and kicking them.

The group fled with cash and a mobile phone.

The 19-year-old was taken to Liverpool Hospital with head injuries and has since been released, while the other man was treated at the scene for facial injuries.