Investigations into shooting in which border guard was injured continue

According to public broadcaster ERT, Greek authorities are examining, among other things, the scenario that a migrant smuggler may have opened fire on border guards in order to allow illegal migrants to enter the country.

However, the police are keeping all options open and said that the investigation is ongoing.

The incident occurred on Saturday at around 6:20 p.m., when unknown assailants from the Turkish side opened fire on the 54-year-old and other Greek border guards who were conducting a patrol to prevent the illegal entry of migrants from Turkey into Greece.

“The colleagues were on a scheduled patrol. We do not know who shot at them,” Chrysovalantis Yalamas, head of the Evros border guard, told Kathimerini.

According to Yalamas, the injured border guard is 54 years old and one of the most experienced in the service. He said the guard has been released from the operation and is out of danger.

“We still don’t know how to explain it,” he said, referring to the incident, noting that there had been such incidents in the past, but not recently. “Last year there were no such incidents and the influx of migrants decreased. It was a quiet summer.”

Finally, he mentioned that this incident had made it clear how dangerous the job of a border guard is.