GENEVA: The United Nations refugee agency has said it is preparing to protect its refugee operations in Bosnia against outbreaks of ethnic violence if Croatia's football team wins the World Cup.

A UN water tanker and two buses used to return refugees were destroyed on July 4 in the southern, Croat-held town of Stolac when Bosnian Croat celebrations of Croatia's 3-0 World Cup victory against Germany turned violent.

Some 200 Bosnian Croats marched through a street where Bosnian muslims are rebuilding homes, throwing stones and breaking windows.

Local police were present during the incident but did not intervene in time to prevent the damage, the spokesman added.