Fifteen injured, 40 arrested in fresh Serbian violence

BELGRADE, Mar 4 (Reuters) Fifteen people were injured and 40 arrested in fierce clashes between Red Star Belgrade fans and police at a Serbian first division match today.

Five of the injured were police officers, police said in a statement, with three sustaining serious injuries and the other two suffering minor wounds.

The riot broke out in the northern city of Zrenjanin yesterday when a group of Red Star supporters without tickets tried to force their way into the ground for the match with Banat.

Clashes spilled on to the terraces and the game was briefly interrupted midway through the first half as riot police moved in to restore order.

Champions Red Star eventually won 4-1 to stay nine points clear at the top.

It was the second outbreak of Serbian soccer violence in a week after 13 people were injured and 27 arrested following last Saturday's Belgrade derby between Red Star and Partizan.

Rival fans hurled rocks at each other and at riot police in one of the capital's most densely populated residential areas, offering few escape routes to bystanders.

Reuters PDS RN1800