14 injured as Greek riot gets out of hand

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14 injured as Greek riot gets out of hand

ATHENS - Hundreds of handball fans fought a pitched battle in the central Greek city of Lamia on Saturday, injuring 14 people and forcing officials to suspend a match, police and reports said.

The clashes broke out in the early morning between fans of Athens club AEK and supporters of PAOK, from the northern city of Thessaloniki, damaging shops and sending people scurrying for cover as police fired tear gas into the fray.

Police said 14 people including three police officers were injured, without giving details. Thirteen suspects were arrested and another 20 detained pending investigation, a police statement said. Reports said around 500 fans were involved, smashing up at least five shops, a car and a sales kiosk, and setting fire to garbage bins.

Police did not give details on the number of fans involved. Order was restored after the rival groups were separated by police, but new clashes began in the stadium ahead of the match, a national cup semifinal, forcing authorities to suspend the entire finals tournament planned for the weekend.


AFP
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