Mostar police on red alert ahead of big match

Police in Mostar will have special riot units out in force tonight to prevent clashes breaking out during the Croatia-Turkey Euro 2008 quarter-final match. At least four towns in Bosnia-Herzegovina are implementing special security measures ahead of tonight’s game. Mostar police on red alert ahead of big match There are problems expected in Stoca, Bugojna, Vitez, Zepac and other places, but the big potential hot-spot will be Mostar. The federal police are on high alert in order to prevent any possible clashes and trouble between rival fans. On the one hand there are the Bosnian Muslims supporting Turkey, and on the other, the Bosnian Croats, who, naturally, will be supporting Croatia. The main street, the demarcation line during the war, will be closed today and the Mostar police will have reinforcements from police stations in other towns, according to police spokesman Srecko Bosnjak. “If we weren’t expecting trouble, we wouldn’t have engaged such forces. We had information that clashes could break out. All measures are being taken with a view to protecting the public, property and to pre-empting incidents of any nature,” he said. Mostar citizens are calling the match a “derby". There are thousands of police officers at the ready, large-scale operative preparations are under way currently, and security measures have been heightened in prisons in Mostar and Zenica. Mostar police have taken the measures to prevent a repeat of scenes two years ago when Croats and Bosniaks clashed in the town center following a game between Brazil and Croatia, when one person and six police officers were injured.

Mostar police on red alert ahead of big match

There are problems expected in Stoca, Bugojna, Vitez, Zepac and other places, but the big potential hot-spot will be Mostar.

The federal police are on high alert in order to prevent any possible clashes and trouble between rival fans.

On the one hand there are the Bosnian Muslims supporting Turkey, and on the other, the Bosnian Croats, who, naturally, will be supporting Croatia.

The main street, the demarcation line during the war, will be closed today and the Mostar police will have reinforcements from police stations in other towns, according to police spokesman Srečko Bošnjak.

“If we weren’t expecting trouble, we wouldn’t have engaged such forces. We had information that clashes could break out. All measures are being taken with a view to protecting the public, property and to pre-empting incidents of any nature,” he said.

Mostar citizens are calling the match a “derby".

There are thousands of police officers at the ready, large-scale operative preparations are under way currently, and security measures have been heightened in prisons in Mostar and Zenica.

Mostar police have taken the measures to prevent a repeat of scenes two years ago when Croats and Bosniaks clashed in the town center following a game between Brazil and Croatia, when one person and six police officers were injured.