ZAGREB, May 31, 2018 - Zadar police stopped an attempt at smuggling people illegally across the border near the village of Donji Srb on Croatia’s border with Bosnia and Herzegovina around 10 pm on Wednesday.
The police opened fire at the van and two children were injured, but their injuries are not life threatening.
Late last night, the police received a report of a van with foreign licence plates, suspected of carrying people who crossed the border from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia illegally in the Donji Lapac municipality near Donji Srb. After two unsuccessful attempts to stop the van, the police officers set up a barrier near the Raštela village and attempted to stop the van with light and sound signals.
The driver refused to stop and continued driving towards them, and the officers fired multiple shots towards the van in self-defence, after which the driver jumped out of the van and ran off. He is still at large.
Police discovered 29 foreign nationals from multiple countries in the van, including two children with gunshot wounds and seven others injured from reckless driving.
The injured children were transferred to the city of Zadar hospital and are in a stable condition, and the others received care in the hospitals in the cities of Zadar and Gospić, the police said.
