AFP, Indonesia :
An Indonesian football fan was killed at a match on the main island of Java when hundreds of angry supporters stormed the pitch and attacked vehicles outside the stadium, police said Thursday.
Violence erupted during Wednesday’s match between Persis and visiting Martapura FC in the city of Solo, with fans mainly targeting police.
Eight officers and six civilians were also injured in the clashes, which started inside the stadium before moving outside, where an angry mob set a police motorbike alight and damaged cars and buses.
Persis supporters stormed the pitch towards the end of the game, when the score was level at 1-1, with police saying they were unhappy after the referee stopped the match early because missiles were being thrown at the linesmen.
At first, the fans jostled police seeking to protect the referee and players, before brawls erupted.
Authorities later found the body of a fan with a chest wound, Solo police official Arif Joko told AFP, adding it was not clear how the injury was inflicted or who was responsible.
Both sides are in Indonesia’s Premier Division, one notch below the top-flight Super League.
Violence is not uncommon at matches in the nation of 250 million people where football is wildly popular and fans are vehemently loyal to their local club. However, serious injuries and deaths are rare.
