The migrants were stranded in northern Serbia while attempting to cross into the European Union when the violence erupted. The injured were taken to a local hospital, including a 16-year-old girl who was seriously injured, Serbian media reports said, quoting doctors.

They said the clash, which included firearms, occurred in a forest near the border with Hungary. Police blocked off the area while conducting the investigation.

The clash also involved migrant smugglers from Afghanistan and Pakistan who take money to get them across the border, according to the media reports, which couldn't be independently verified.

Thousands of migrants fleeing wars and poverty in Africa, Asia and the Middle East are stranded in the Balkans, one of the major European routes for those trying to reach Western Europe.