Police attacked, shops vandalized during riots in Stuttgart

Police officers, patrol cars and shops were attacked during violent clashes in the city center of the German city of Stuttgart in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to a statement by the Stuttgart police.

More than a dozen police officers were injured and parked police cars were massively damaged, with windows smashed, the police said.

Rioters also threw stones and other objects at passing patrols. Police officers were "approached, attacked and injured in an extremely aggressive manner," the statement said.

Many downtown shops were damaged indiscriminately and some were looted, according to the statement.

German media reported that several hundreds of people were involved in the riots. The rioters covered their faces with balaclavas and other materials to conceal their identity, the police said.

Meanwhile, more than 20 people were arrested and an investigation is underway, the police said, without providing much information about the nature of the riots.