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World

Spain shows videos of rubber-bullet shots at Moroccan migrants, denies role in 15 drownings

Associated Press
Published | Updated
  • APTOPIX Spain Migrants
    Image 1 of 3

    Four sub-Saharan migrants climb over a metallic fence that divides Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, as a Red Cross worker is on-hand to offer humanitarian assistance, Monday Feb. 17, 2014. A Spanish official says about 200 sub-Saharan migrants stormed a barbed-wire border fence along Spain's northwest African enclave of Melilla, with about 50 of them making it over. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry's office in Melilla said the melee began early Monday. The Spanish city of Melilla lies on the African continent, surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Migrants hoping to get to Europe camp on the Moroccan side, with several thousand trying each year to enter the city and Spain's other coastal enclave of Ceuta. (AP Photo/ Jesus Blasco de Avellaneda) (The Associated Press)

  • 5f040cc5-APTOPIX Spain Migrants
    Image 2 of 3

    Sub-Saharan migrants line up next to a police station after climbing the fence that separates Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, Spain, Monday Feb. 17, 2014. A Spanish official says about 200 sub-Saharan migrants stormed a barbed-wire border fence along Spain's northwest African enclave of Melilla, with about 50 of them making it over. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry's office in Melilla said the melee began early Monday. The Spanish city of Melilla lies on the African continent, surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Migrants hoping to get to Europe camp on the Moroccan side, with several thousand trying each year to enter the city and Spain's other coastal enclave of Ceuta. (AP Photo/ Jesus Blasco de Avellaneda) (The Associated Press)

  • Spain Migrants
    Image 3 of 3

    Sub-Saharan migrants climb over a metallic fence that divides Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla, as a Red Cross worker is on-hand to offer humanitarian assistance, Monday Feb. 17, 2014. A Spanish official says about 200 sub-Saharan migrants stormed a barbed-wire border fence along Spain's northwest African enclave of Melilla, with about 50 of them making it over. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry's office in Melilla said the melee began early Monday. The Spanish city of Melilla lies on the African continent, surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Migrants hoping to get to Europe camp on the Moroccan side, with several thousand trying each year to enter the city and Spain's other coastal enclave of Ceuta. (AP Photo/ Jesus Blasco de Avellaneda) (The Associated Press)

MADRID – Spain's Interior Ministry has posted videos online showing police firing rubber bullets as migrants swim into Spanish territory from Morocco, but denies this contributed to the drowning of 15 migrants.

The police-produced videos show bullets striking the sea as migrants tried to swim around the fence separating Moroccan territory from Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta on Feb. 6. Earlier, hundreds had tried to breach border security barriers by land.

Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz said Friday that police fired the projectiles in front of the migrants, not directly at them. He said all victims drowned in Moroccan waters.

Ceuta is one of two Spanish territories surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. Annually, thousands hoping to reach Europe camp out in Morocco and try to cross over.