Four men stole 20 cartons of cigarettes and severely beat a San Jose convenience store clerk, police said.

San Jose police said three men entered the 7-Eleven store at 2644 Cropley Ave., in North San Jose, shortly before 4:30 a.m. Thursday and appeared to check the place out. They returned a few minutes later with a fourth man, security cameras show.

Two of the men approached the lone 27-year-old clerk in the back of the store and assaulted him while the other two men took 20 cartons of Marlboro cigarettes.

The unidentified clerk suffered a broken arm and jaw.

The assailants all wore black hooded sweatshirts or jackets.

This is the fifth recent robbery involving cigarettes in the San Jose area, but police don't believe the incident is related to the others.