ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—A mass brawl between Yezidi and Chechen asylum seekers in Germany left at least five people seriously wounded on Saturday.
Police in the central Germany city of Bielefeld said in a statement on Sunday that Yezidi and Chechen asylum seekers living in the same refugee shelter fought each other with knives and truncheons on Saturday evening.
Local media reported that about 15 Chechens and 15 Yezidis were involved in the brawl at the Oldentruper Hof refugee shelter where there had been a dispute between residents earlier in the week.
Reports indicate that the Chechens, who are Muslim, attacked the Yezidis.
A passing motorist called police. Five people were treated in hospital for traumatic brain injury, a fractured hand, stabbing wounds, and facial bone fractures. All of the seriously injured were Yezidi.
Two Chechen men, aged 42 and 24, were detained by the police.
Later Saturday night, about 100 Yezidis tried to forcibly enter the shelter, some armed with clubs and knives, reportedly looking for Chechen families to take revenge, according to local media. The police, with the assistance of translators, contained the Yezidis behind a roadblock.
Authorities moved all of the families living in the shelter to shelters in other cities.
The exact cause of the fight is unknown and an investigation is ongoing though some local media were calling it a “religious war.”
Ezidi Press reported that Yezidis and Christians have faced repeated attacks at refugee centres in Germany.
Police in the central Germany city of Bielefeld said in a statement on Sunday that Yezidi and Chechen asylum seekers living in the same refugee shelter fought each other with knives and truncheons on Saturday evening.
Local media reported that about 15 Chechens and 15 Yezidis were involved in the brawl at the Oldentruper Hof refugee shelter where there had been a dispute between residents earlier in the week.
Reports indicate that the Chechens, who are Muslim, attacked the Yezidis.
A passing motorist called police. Five people were treated in hospital for traumatic brain injury, a fractured hand, stabbing wounds, and facial bone fractures. All of the seriously injured were Yezidi.
Two Chechen men, aged 42 and 24, were detained by the police.
Later Saturday night, about 100 Yezidis tried to forcibly enter the shelter, some armed with clubs and knives, reportedly looking for Chechen families to take revenge, according to local media. The police, with the assistance of translators, contained the Yezidis behind a roadblock.
Authorities moved all of the families living in the shelter to shelters in other cities.
The exact cause of the fight is unknown and an investigation is ongoing though some local media were calling it a “religious war.”
Ezidi Press reported that Yezidis and Christians have faced repeated attacks at refugee centres in Germany.
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