Greek border guard shot from Turkish side – police

The steel fence erected at the border with Turkey is pictured on the sideline of a ceremony marking the signing of the project of its extension in Feres on March 31, 2023. Several countries, including Austria and Greece, have called for EU funding to strengthen fences along the bloc’s external borders to reduce the flow of asylum-seekers. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

THESSALONIKI, Greece — A Greek border guard was hurt Saturday after being shot from the Turkish side of the frontier, Greek police said.

The border patrol “took fire from unknown persons on the Turkish side” near the town of Soufli, it said.

The police in a statement said the incident occurred during “an operation to prevent the illegal entry of migrants from Turkey.”

The guard was hospitalized. No detail was given on his condition.

READ: Greece plans to extend fence on land border with Turkey

The Greek-Turkish border is a common entry point to smuggle migrants into Greece — a member of the European Union — particularly in the summer when the waters of the Evros River run low.

In 2020, Ankara was seen by Athens to have encouraged thousands of migrants to attempt to cross the frontier into Greece, causing days of clashes with border guards.

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