MADRID (AP) — Almost 500 migrants forced their way into Spanish territory in North Africa early Friday by breaking through gates in the 20-foot (6-meter) high fence that separates Morocco from Spain's Ceuta enclave.
The Ceuta regional government gave the figures, with officials saying it was believed to be the biggest border invasion in recent years. Ceuta is separated from the rest of Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.
Some 700 migrants attempted to smash through several gates simultaneously at about 6 a.m., a Ceuta government official told The Associated Press. He refused to be identified, in accordance with government rules.