Serbia: 1 killed, many injured in soccer brawl

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhuanet) -- One person was shot to death and several were injured during a brawl between rival Serbian soccer fans, police said Tuesday.

The clash, set in advance between Partizan Belgrade and Vojvodina Novi Sad fans, happened late Monday in a village near this northern Serbian town.

Police said a Partizan fan fired a gun and shot dead a Vojvodina supporter. Several people were injured in the brawl, including one seriously.

The clash followed violent street fights in Novi Sad before Sunday's Vojvodina-Partizan first league match. One fan was seriously injured after being stabbed with a knife during the brawl, and dozens were arrested.

Fan riots are common in Serbia between organized hooligan gangs. Those groups are often manipulated by nationalist parties, including during riots in February when they set the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade on fire in protest over Kosovo's declaration of independence.

(Agencies)