Thirteen foreign citizens have been found and identified at the Eugen Kvaternik Military Range in the central Croatian town of Slunj, and they have been handed over to the police for further action, Croatia's Defence Ministry (MORH) said on Saturday.

A group of thirteen foreign citizens who had illegally crossed the Croatian border were identified and detained at the Eugen Kvaternik Military Range on Friday at about 6.30 pm.

The group then reported that a female child aged 12 had gone missing from the group, the ministry’s press release said.

Since the disappearance was reported, members of the Croatian Armed Forces have been intensively searching for the missing girl around the Eugen Kvaternik Military Range.

The Croatian police were immediately informed about this and they took over the foreign nationals and are also conducting an intensive search, MORH added.