BRUSSELS — A spike in shooting incidents at Turkey’s land border with Greece near where European Union (EU) border officers have been patrolling has been concerning, said EU’s top migration official on Friday.
At least 3 incidents involving gunfire into the air by uniformed Turkish personnel have been reported recently. The EU’s border and coast guard agency chief Fabrice Leggeri has written to the European Commission to warn of the rising number of shootings in the Evros region.
“I am always concerned when there are shootings close to EU external borders,” EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told reporters, “even if it seems that it has not been shooting at any persons.” No details about the incidents were provided.
Leggeri has ordered Frontex officers to wear bulletproof jackets when patrolling in the area.
Tensions along the borders between EU member country Greece and Turkey have long simmered. They spilled over into violence a year ago after Turkey, angered at a lack of EU support for its invasion into northern Syria, waved thousands of migrants through the borders.
EU leaders will discuss their tense relations with Turkey at a 2-day summit in Brussels starting March 25.
EU worried by shooting incidents near Turkey-Greece border
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EU worried by shooting incidents near Turkey-Greece border
- EU’s border and coastguard agency chief has written to European Commission to warn of rise in shootings at Evros region.
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
