Croatian police opened fire with live ammunition during a highway clash with hundreds of football fans returning from a match in the capital, authorities said. Two fans and about a dozen policemen were injured.
Violence late Saturday broke out when a convoy of buses carrying Hajduk Split fans were escorted by police after the team lost to rivals Dinamo Zagreb in a match. The bus was stopped and a group of fans turned against the officers, police said in a statement.
The statement added that Hajduk fans blocked the highway and ignored police orders to disperse. The police then used live ammunition and other means to repel the fans.
Two fans are believed to have been hit by bullets, but none of the injured, including the police officers, are in life-threatening condition, police said. No further details were provided in the statement.
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Local media reported that the highway leading from the capital Zagreb to the Adriatic town of Split remained closed through the night and early Sunday morning. Images posted on social media showed what appeared to be flares, and then fans were forced to lie on the ground.
The Index portal said that nearly 2,000 Hajduk fans who had come to the Croatian capital to watch the match against Dinamo did not attend because the police did not allow them to carry banners. Dinamo, the team that won the championship, beat second-placed Hajduk 3-1 on Saturday.
