The Croatian Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday that 18 migrants moving in separate groups were found in the area of Buhaca near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina as they were attempting to cross the border into Croatia, and that Croatian police prevented them from doing so without using force.

“According to information collected so far, during the deterrence procedure, police officers did not use means of coercion against the persons caught while trying to illegally cross the state border. There were no visible injuries on the persons concerned nor did any of them seek medical assistance and the border police of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not report of any alleged injuries during mutual contact either,” said the ministry.

The ministry said the allegations of injuries and use of force would be checked as in all previous cases.

Quoting hospital and police sources, Bosnian media said earlier in the day that 18 illegal migrants were injured under as yet unclear circumstances in the area of Velika Kladusa and that prosecutorial authorities had launched an investigation into the case.

Bosnian border police spokeswoman Sanela Dujkovic confirmed that border police found the 18 injured migrants in the area close to the border with Croatia but she could not say what exactly had happened.

The spokesman for the police of the northwestern Bosnian Una-Sana Canton, Ale Siljdedic, said that cantonal police did not intervene in the case but were informed that a larger group of migrants had sought medical assistance in a clinic in Velika Kladusa.

Officials at the Velika Kladusa clinic confirmed having admitted six migrants with serious injuries, saying the other 12 had light injuries.