55 injured at Kabul soccer match

At least 55 people were injured today when violence broke out a soccer match between UN peacekeepers and a local team in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The stadium was packed to capacity for the game, but crowds waiting outside began fighting their way through the gates.

Afghan police used sticks and the butts of their rifles to beat back the crowd and doctors said 50 Afghans were treated for injuries, mostly to the head.

Five peacekeepers were also treated for injuries received when members of the crowd threw rocks at them.

Afghan police fired shots in the air several times during the clashes and, at one stage, police fired smoke grenades at the crowds. Some people picked up the grenades and threw them back at the police.

Some men were also injured when they fell from the stadium’s walls after scaling them with makeshift ropes.

The violence waned when play began and the crowds calmed as the game went on. The peacekeepers, mostly British soldiers, eventually won the game 3-1.