‘Border is shut’: Greek troops fire warning shots to stop migrants from Turkey

4 Mar, 2020 10:54 / Updated 5 years ago

Greek riot police and troops used a water cannon and tear gas on Wednesday against hundreds of migrants, as they made another attempt to cross the border from Turkey into Greece.

Plumes of black smoke drifted above the Kastanies border crossing, and a fire engine reportedly raced by in order to put out the smoldering blazes. Greek soldiers also fired warning shots into the air, Reuters said.

A Greek army vehicle equipped with loudspeakers informed the migrants in Arabic and other languages that the border is shut.

More than 10,000 migrants have been trying to breach the border since Turkey said last Thursday it would no longer abide by a 2016 deal with the EU to halt illegal migration flows to Europe in return for billions of euros in aid.