Deadly Clashes at Melilla Border: 18 Migrants Killed, Dozens Injured in Morocco

In these videos circulating since Friday afternoon, we can see some young migrants dying on the ground and other apparently lifeless bodies. More than 2,000 migrants tried to jump the fence in Melilla from Morocco. The authorities of Nador estimate the number of dead migrants at 18 in these clashes between Moroccan police and migrants. But this figure could increase as 76 injured migrants, some in critical condition, are still hospitalized, reports El Español.

To read: Migrant Clash at Melilla Border Leaves Two Moroccan Police Dead, Multiple Casualties

The migrants would have died from the "falls from a great height" or the "clashes" that took place at the fence. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) of Nador denounced the "violent and inhumane" way in which the Moroccan police treated the sub-Saharan and Sudanese migrants. "They remained without assistance on site for hours, which increased the number of deaths," criticized the association on social networks, estimating the number of dead migrants at 27.

To read: Border Clash: 150 Migrants Repelled at Melilla, Spain; 9 Guards Injured

Of the 2,000 migrants, at least 500 managed to enter the autonomous city. They were "perfectly organized and violent," the city authorities said. Since the normalization of relations between Spain and Morocco in April last year, this is the first time that such a large number of migrants have tried to cross the border in Melilla. This invasion of migrants comes a few days before the NATO summit scheduled for this week in Madrid.