| DAMASCUS, March 12 (Reuters) - Three children were killed and more than 100 people injured in a stampede on Friday after fighting broke out at a premier league football match in the northeast Syrian town of Kameshli, witnesses said.
State-run Syrian Radio reported the deaths as it began live coverage of the match, which was quickly called off.
Police surrounded the stadium and fired shots in the air, but it was not clear whether they had been able to stop the fighting. Officials were not immediately available for comment.
Witnesses said there were between 5,000 and 7,000 spectators at the match between Kameshli and nearby Deir al-Zour.
Visiting fans threw sticks and stones at the Kameshli supporters, witnesses said. "We had nothing to defend ourselves with because we were not expecting this, so we had to run and there was a stampede," one witness said.
One witness said visiting fans also shouted slogans that offended Syrian Kurdish supporters of Kameshli, a town near the Iraqi border that has a large Syrian Kurdish population.
Hospital sources told Reuters they could not confirm any deaths but more than 100 injured people had been brought in, including an 11-year-old boy with bullet wounds in the stomach.
"...with like-minded people one cannot discuss. With like-minded people one can only participate in a church service, and you know how I feel about church services." Ayaan Hirsi Ali |