1 killed, 13 Moroccan soldiers wounded as migrants storm Spanish enclave

One migrant was killed and 13 Moroccan soldiers were injured when some 300 illegal Subsaharan African migrants forced their way to the Spanish enclave of Melillia, the Moroccan Interior Ministry announced on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement that 141 illegal migrants were arrested when the Moroccan authorities intervened to foil their attempt to storm the border fence separating Spanish enclave Melilla from Morocco on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Thirteen soldiers were wounded during this operation and were rushed into a hospital in the northern city of Nador to receive medical treatment, the statement said.

While climbing the fence of the occupied city of Melillia, one person died after falling from the top of the fence and 22 assailants were injured by barbed wire before they were transferred to the hospital, it added.

"Following these illegal acts, the Moroccan authorities decided to repatriate all the participants in this assault to their countries of origin in accordance with the law," the ministry said.

Morocco has become a hub for African migrants who seek to reach Europe for a better life. Thousands of migrants try to flee poverty and unrest in Africa each year via Morocco to Europe, either by land into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla or by sea often in flimsy vessels.

Between January and August, Morocco thwarted at least 54,000 attempts to smuggle illegal immigrants into Europe, compared with 39,000 attempts a year earlier, according to the Moroccan government.

--IANS

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