Illegal immigrant attacks Polish soldier at Belarusian border
A Polish soldier has been assaulted by an undocumented migrant attempting to cross the country's border with Belarus, the Polish Army has reported.
On Thursday evening, Polish soldiers guarding the Polish-Belarusian border in Michalow were pelted with stones by a group of immigrants, Blazej Lukaszewski, the spokesperson for the Podlasie Military Task Force, reported on Monday. Later, one of the migrants crossed the border and attacked the soldier, endangering his life and health.
The Border Guard apprehended the assailant, and the soldier was hospitalised. Although his condition is stable, he is currently unable to perform his duties due to a vision impairment caused by the attack, Lukaszewski said.
Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the incident on the X platform later on Monday.
"The soldiers guarding the eastern border are doing everything possible, risking their lives and health every day, to protect Poland from illegal migrants," he wrote. "Under a barrage of stones and aggression, the border defenders did everything to stop the invaders. They did so effectively. Soldiers, thank you for your service!" the minister added.
Since 2021, Poland has been facing an influx of mostly North African and Middle Eastern migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus. Warsaw has accused Minsk of orchestrating the migration pressure in order to destabilise the EU. (PAP)
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