A war crimes court in The Hague has overturned the convictions of two Croatian generals charged with atrocities against Serbs in the 1990s, according to BBC News.

Appeals judges at tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ordered the release of Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac.

In 2011 they were sentenced to 24 years and 18 years respectively over the killing of ethnic Serbs in an offensive to retake Croatia's Krajina region.

Thousands of people in Croatia's capital Zagreb cheered Friday's, Nov 16 ruling.

On Friday, presiding Judge Theodor Meron said that court entered "a verdict of acquittal" for Gen Gotovina and Gen Markac, both aged 57.

The two men were last year convicted of of murder, persecution and plunder. Judges then ruled that they were part of a criminal conspiracy led by late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to expel ethnic Serbs.

They referred to the shelling of Knin and three other towns.

But on Friday, Judge Meron said there had been no such conspiracy. Court officials also said prosecutors would not appeal against the ruling, describing it as "the final judgment".