Serbian bus hit by stones thrown by Albania fans

Baku. 8 October. REPORT.AZ/ A bus carrying the Serbia squad was hit by stones within hours of the team arriving in Albania on Wednesday for a Euro 2016 qualifier, a year after their previous encounter was abandoned in chaos, Report informs referring to foreign media.

Albania has stepped up security for the politically-charged match, after their first meeting in Group I in Belgrade was abandoned when a drone carrying a flag depicting 'Greater Albania' flew over the stadium and a brawl ensued between players.

The Balkan countries have long been at odds over Serbia's majority-Albanian former Kosovo province, which declared independence in 2008 almost a decade after NATO went to war to halt the massacre and expulsion of civilians during a Serbian counter-insurgency war.

Serbia's foreign ministry said it had prepared a protest note over the incident, in which stones struck the bus as it drove into the Albanian capital, Tirana, cracking a window.