MADRID, June 24 (Reuters) - About 400 migrants on Friday stormed a high fence that seals off Spain's North African enclave of Melilla, of whom a large group managed to cross over from Morocco after a two-hour skirmish with border officers, Spanish authorities said. Melilla and Ceuta, a second Spanish enclave also on Africa's northern coast, have over the past decade become popular crossing points for illegal African migrants trying to get into Europe. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe storming of the border began around 6:40 a.m. local time and the crossing took place at 8:40, "despite an extensive operation by Moroccan forces," it said. In the weeks of 2022 prior to that shift, migrant entries into the two enclaves had more than trebled compared with the same period of 2021. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Emma Pinedo, editing by Aislinn Laing and John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 24, 2022 11:34 UTC