Police attacked with stones on Greek-Macedonian border

Refugees and migrants on the Greek-Macedonian border have attacked police with stones, fuelled by anger at the Macedonian authorities erecting a fence along the border and an accident that injured a young Moroccan man.

Officials said 18 Macedonian officers were injured in the clashes, with two being taken to hospital. Police fought back with stun grenades and plastic bullets.

Doctors from the Red Cross said 20 people had been treated for head injuries and breathing problems.

The clashes were further fuelled by the accidental electrocution at the top of a train carriage of a 24-year-old Moroccan, who suffered severe burns.

The man in a serious condition, with extensive burns, Greek police said, and has been transferred to a hospital in the city of Thessaloniki, 50 miles south of the border.

His compatriots formed the bulk of the about 250 people who started throwing stones at Macedonian police. Also

Some refugees and migrants been stranded at the border since Macedonia decided to only let through those from the "warzone" countries of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Among the 800 who are stuck are citizens of Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia and Congo.

Greek police formed a line in front of their Macedonian colleagues as they were not being targeted by the migrants.

The clash ended in less than an hour when other migrants intervened, holding white clothing as a sign of peace.

Macedonian government spokesman Aleksandar Gjorgjiev said that the country has started to erect a fence on its southern border with Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint.

Mr Gjorgjiev said "the border will remain open and all migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter".

The migrants are camped along the railway tracks, blocking rail traffic for the 11th consecutive day.

"I have been here for 10 days with my two sons. We have decided to return to Athens and see what we will do," said 41-year-old Fatemeh, from the Iranian city of Ahwaz. She declined to give her last name, for fear of reprisals.

"There is no way to return to Iran, only prison awaits us," she said. "We understand that the Syrians, the Afghans and the Iraqis are at war, but we also have a big political problem. There is no freedom in our country."