Croatian handball fans were exposed to a series of serious and organised attacks in Novi Sad and Ruma on Tuesday evening after a Croatia-France game, within the European Championships, in which one of them was stabbed, the media in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina said on Wednesday.
The gravest incident occurred in Ruma, where one fan was stabbed at a gas station and taken to hospital in Novi Sad, Vojvodina Radio Television said, adding that a Croatian van at the station was set on fire.
Shortly before that, in a Novi Sad suburb, a line of Croatian fans' cars was stoned by about 50 masked youths, one of whom used an axe. Several Croatians were injured and one was hospitalised.
Novi Sad police spokeswoman Mileva Tomic told Beta news agency that about 15 Croatian cars were damaged on a number of locations in the city but the exact number had not yet been determined.
At the same time, Bosnian Croat handball fans were assaulted with clubs by masked sports fans in a cafe and their car was smashed.
Serbian web portals reported about a fight in a Novi Sad street and that several cars with Croatian licence plates were smashed.
Telegraf.rs said that according to online forum discussions, the incidents were prompted by the behaviour of the Croatian supporters at the Croatia-France game who chanted "Vukovar, Vukovar" and "We, the Croats" several times, after which Serbian fans agreed online to retaliate.
Serbian Police Director Milorad Veljovic last night apologised to the Croatian fans assaulted in Novi Sad and Ruma, saying police would be at their disposal "day and night."
Croatian fans supporting the national handball team were first attacked on Sunday, when two were lightly injured.
The 2012 EHF European Men's Handball Championship is being held in Serbia on January 15–29 in the cities of Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad and Vrsac.
