Minsk, Nov 24 (UNI/Sputnik) The Polish security forces used bursts of automatic weapon fire last night to prevent migrants from crossing the border, the State Border Committee of Belarus said on Wednesday.
"A group of desperate migrants decided to independently proceed to the territory of Poland. People were pushed to do so by a desperate situation, in which they found themselves due to the lack of legal opportunity to apply for protection in the European Union. This time, the Polish security forces met the refugees with automatic bursts of fire," the Belarusian agency said on Telegram.
Belarusian border guards "covered the area in order to thwart possible provocations," the statement added.
More than 2,000 migrants are currently stranded on the Belarus-Poland border, accommodated in a shelter arranged by the Belarusian authorities. Following several attempts to force their way over the border, Poland increased its security presence to thwart illegal crossings.
The Polish government has accused Minsk of fostering the migrant flow, while the Belarusian government accused Polish board guards of forcibly pushing migrants back onto the Belarusian side.
UNI/SPUTNIK ASN