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Rabat – The death toll of Friday’s tragic mass crossing into the Spanish enclave of Melilla increased to 23 as of Saturday, official estimates have indicated.
The 23 dead people were part of a group of 2,000 irregular migrants who attempted to enter Melilla from Nador, in Morocco’s Oriental region on Friday.
Amid the tragedy, human rights groups have called for a quick probe into Frida’s horrific incidents.
Among the advocacy groups pushing for a “quick, serious, and comprehensive” probe into the events is Morocco’s Association for Human Rights (AMDH).
AMDH warned that many wounded migrants were left at the site of the incident without help for hours, resulting in an increase in the number of deaths.
The Melilla tragic events sparked frustration among members of the Spanish government, with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez describing the crossing as an “attack” on the “territorial integrity of Spain.”
“If there is anyone responsible for everything that appears to have taken place at the border, it is the mafias that traffic in human beings,” Sanchez argued.
Meanwhile, sources quoted by international media said that many of the migrants used several weapons, including acid and knives, against security services.
Al Jazeera reported that the clashes between the migrants, Moroccan, and Spanish border guards resulted in injuries among security officials.
About 176 Moroccan security officers and 49 Spanish border guards were injured during the clashes, the news outlet reported.
The situation stirred concerns from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as well as the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
Both organizations expressed profound “sadness and concern” about what happened in Melilla, urging all authorities to “prioritize the safety of migrants and refugees.”
The region experienced a series of mass crossing attempts recently, including one earlier this week and during which over 100 Moroccan security services sustained injuries.
