A Bulgarian police officer (30) was shot dead while guarding the EU’s external border with Turkey. The shot came from Turkey, Bulgarian Interior Ministry Secretary General Petar Todorov said Tuesday. The Bulgarian authorities assume that smugglers fired at migrants.
The border patrol reportedly discovered a hole in the border fence with Turkey at the border village of Golyam Dervent. Up to 15 more shots came from Turkey, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdschiev said. “With the escalating aggression, including with firearms, we will respond with the necessary force,” he said.
“Unacceptable”
President Rumen Radew, who was in Egypt for the climate conference, spoke of an unprecedented case that was “extremely dangerous and unacceptable”. He expects the Turkish ambassador in Sofia to be appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
259 kilometer border protected by wire fence
The 259-kilometre-long Bulgarian EU external border with Turkey on the mainland has been partially protected by a wire fence since 2014 and 2017 and monitored by thermal imagers. But smugglers continue to open holes so migrants can illegally cross the border without being registered at official checkpoints. In Bulgaria, the number of attempted border crossings has soared this year.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
