Migrants hurl stones at Macedonian policemen during clashes at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
The Associated Press
IDOMENI, Greece (AP) - Migrants on the Greek-Macedonian border attacked police with stones Saturday, enraged by the sight of Macedonian authorities erecting a fence along the border and an accident that injured a young Moroccan man.
Authorities said 18 Macedonian officers were injured in the brief but intense clashes. Most of them received minor injuries but two were hospitalized in the nearby town of Gevgelija, Macedonia's Interior Ministry said.
There was no official tally of injured migrants, although Macedonian police targeted them with stun grenades and plastic bullets. Doctors from the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations said they treated 20 people for head injuries and breathing problems.
The accidental electrocution at the top of a train carriage of a 24-year-old Moroccan, who suffered severe burns, sparked the unrest among the migrants, many of whom have been stranded at the border since Macedonia decided earlier this month, along with Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, to let through only those from the "warzone" countries of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
More than 600,000 refugees and other migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia have entered Europe through Greece this year, many after making the short sea crossing from Turkey. Most of them continue on a long trek through the Balkans toward the promised lands of central and northern Europe.
The 24-year-old is in a serious condition, with extensive burns, Greek police said, and has been transferred to a hospital in the city of Thessaloniki, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the border.
The man's Moroccan compatriots formed the bulk of the about 250 people who started throwing stones at Macedonian police. Also among the 800 who are stuck at the border are citizens of Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia and Congo.
Greek police didn't intervene to stop the migrants but did, at one point interpose themselves to protect their Macedonian colleagues, as the migrants would not target the Greeks.
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 told The Associated Press 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.
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."
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Testorides reported from Skopje, Macedonia. Demetris Nellas contributed to this report from Athens, Greece.
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A man who has been electrocuted is treated by others at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
In this aerial photo taken from a drone, Macedonian policemen use their shields to take cover during clashes with migrants at the Greek-Macedonian border near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (Laci Molnar/dronemediastudio.com via AP)
The Associated Press
Macedonian military police officer helps a refugee woman in wheelchair to cross railway tracks after entering from Greece into Macedonia at a checkpoint near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Refugees queue before entering in a transit center for refugees near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, after crossing the border from Greece, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Migrants wait behind barbed wire on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Macedonian army trucks make their way behind a border fence which was built to prevent illegal crossings by migrants at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared at the borderline as a migrant suffered severe burns when he touched a high-voltage cable. The man, one of those whose entry into Macedonia has been forbidden, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
Macedonian Army engineers build a fence on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Macedonian Army engineers build a fence on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Macedonian Army engineers build a fence on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Refugees are allowed to enter into Macedonia after showing identification documents at a checkpoint on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
A man who has been electrocuted is treated by Red Cross personnel at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border as a migrant suffered severe burns when he touched a high-voltage cable. The man, one of those whose entry into Macedonia has been forbidden, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
A man who has been electrocuted is treated by others at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border as a migrant suffered severe burns when he touched a high-voltage cable. The man, one of those whose entry into Macedonia has been forbidden, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
A migrant throws stones at Macedonian policemen during clashes at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared at the borderline as a migrant suffered severe burns when he touched a high-voltage cable. The man, one of those whose entry into Macedonia has been forbidden, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
A migrant throws a tear gas canister back to Macedonian policemen during clashes at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared at the borderline as a migrant suffered severe burns when he touched a high-voltage cable. The man, one of those whose entry into Macedonia has been forbidden, climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a power cable overhead. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
The Associated Press
Refugees are allowed entering into Macedonia after showing identification documents at a checkpoint on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Macedonian military police is deployed after clashes between riot police and a violant group of migrants, on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
Macedonian riot police block migrants from entering into Macedonia after clashes with a violant group of migrants, on the border line between Macedonia and Greece, near southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable. Macedonia has started to erect a fence on its southern border with neighboring Greece in order to prevent illegal crossings and to channel the flow of migrants through the official checkpoint, where only migrants from the war-affected zones will be allowed to enter. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The Associated Press
A dinghy with refugees and migrants onboard is illuminated by a rainbow as it makes its way on the Aegean sea from the Turkey's coast to the Greek island of Lesbos, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. About 5,000 migrants are reaching Europe each day along the so-called Balkan migrant route, stoking tensions among the countries along the migrant corridor including Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.(AP Photo/Santi Palacios)
The Associated Press
Macedonian policemen shelter behind their shields from stones hurled by migrants during clashes at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
The Associated Press
A migrant collects a stone from the ground during clashes at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Tension has flared on the Greek side of the Greece-Macedonia border when a migrant who was stopped from crossing into Macedonia, suffered severe burns when he climbed on top of a stationary train carriage and touched a overhead power cable. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
The Associated Press
Refugees and migrants arrive on a beach following a crossing of a part of the Aegean sea from the Turkey's coast to the Greek island of Lesbos, on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. About 5,000 migrants are reaching Europe each day along the so-called Balkan migrant route, stoking tensions among the countries along the migrant corridor including Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.(AP Photo/Santi Palacios)
The Associated Press