ZAGREB, October 9, 2018 – Fighting broke out between migrants from various countries currently housed in a makeshift migrant centre in Bihać in northwestern Bosnia-Herzegovina, near the border with Croatia, During the hours-long brawl, police officers were attacked when they had come to investigate what was going on, Una-Sana canton police reported on Tuesday.
Police spokeswoman Snežana Galić said in a press release as carried by the Dnevni Avaz daily that police officers were attacked on Monday night by a large group of migrants and that a police vehicle had been damaged. Security guards at an abandoned student dormitory currently being used to house migrants were also attacked.
The incident ensued after two Iranian migrants started scuffling and one of them sustained serious injuries in that fight. Security guards then called for the police who arrived to investigate the incident, however, they were informed of a massive brawl in the food queue which security guards tried to break up and separate the conflicting sides.
A police back-up was deployed to the migrant camp and while investigating the incident the police established that Afghani migrants had been abusing other migrants on a daily basis.
While the police were questioning an Iranian witness, another group of migrants rushed on the police and began throwing stones at them and the security guards. The police were compelled to use firearms and shot a few shots into the air, Galić explained.
A report has been submitted to the Bihać county prosecutor’s office and the event is being investigated.
