VILNIUS: Latvian soldiers used tear gas and fired a warning shot to stop migrants trying to enter from Belarus, the army said on Wednesday, as the prime minister said Latvians were worried about a rising number of migrants trying to cross the border.
Latvia, along with Poland and Lithuania, has accused Belarus and its ally Russia of orchestrating migrant flows from the Middle East and Africa in an attempt to destabilize countries on NATO’s eastern flank, an allegation both Minsk and Moscow deny.
In the latest incident, five or more migrants acted aggressively and threw logs toward soldiers as they attempted to enter Latvia, the army said in a Wednesday morning post on X, adding the episode took place in the past 24 hours.
“To halt the unlawful actions and prevent further escalation of the situation, soldiers used tear gas,” it said.
“As the individuals continued to ignore the officials’ lawful demands and maintained aggressive behavior, one warning shot was fired into the air, after which the individuals retreated to Belarusian territory,” said the army.
