WARSAW —
Poland will increase to 10,000 the number of soldiers deployed to help border guards stop migrant crossings from Belarus, Defense Minister
Mariusz Blaszczak said on Monday.
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The announcement follows a series of incidents along the border in which large groups of migrants have tried to tear down a razor wire fence recently put up by Polish forces.
“We are increasing the number of soldiers to help the border guard service by 2,500. Soon, about 10,000 soldiers will be guarding the security of the border,” he said on Twitter.
Thousands of migrants — mostly from the Middle East — have crossed or tried to cross from Belarus since the summer.
The
EU believes the Belarusian regime is deliberately sending the migrants over in retaliation against EU sanctions.
Several migrants have died trying to cross and border guards have reported several incidents, including two over the weekend.
Two soldiers had to be treated in hospital on Sunday after a group of around 60 migrants tried to force their way into Poland, throwing sticks and stones at security forces.
A similar incident involving 70 migrants occurred on Saturday.
Poland has also imposed a state of emergency along the border since September which means that journalists and charity workers are banned from the immediate border area.
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