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Minsk notifies Warsaw there are no migrants at Bruzgi-Kuznica that might pose threat

Chief of the Belarusian Border Guard General Anatoly Lappo pointed out in his reply to the Polish Border Guard that most foreigners were granted accommodation at the logistics center Bruzgi, while others had already boarded an evacuation flight from Minsk to Iraq

WARSAW, November 19. /TASS/. The Belarusian Border Guard has informed Poland that at the Bruzgi-Kuznica border crossing there are no migrants that might pose a threat. A statement to this effect has been uploaded to the Polish Border Guard’s website.

"The Belarusian side would like to resume traffic through the Bruzgi-Kuznica checkpoint. It says that there are no people anymore that might pose a threat to Polish services that protect our border," the news release reads.

This information is contained in a reply from the chief of the Belarusian Border Guard, General Anatoly Lappo, to a warning from the Polish Border Guard’s Major-General Tomasz Praga Poland would close the cargo railway crossing at Kuznica, if the situation on the border failed to stabilize.

The Polish Border Guard says that Lappo in his reply stressed that most foreigners were now granted accommodation at the logistics center Bruzgi, while others have already boarded an evacuation flight from Minsk to Iraq.

"General Anatoly Lappo said that Belarusian border guards were taking all necessary measures for a settlement of the situation involving foreigners at Bruzgi-Kuznica. The Belarusian side has said that it is prepared to resume traffic through this border crossing," the news release reads.

Over the past year Polish border guards prevented more than 35,000 attempts at the illegal crossing of the Polish-Belarusian border, 400 times more than last year. Tensions soared on November 8, as several thousand migrants approached the border. Large groups repeatedly tried to break through the border fence and get into Polish territory. Polish forces upset most such attempts.

On Tuesday, a large group of migrants at the Kuznica-Bruzgi checkpoint for more than two hours hurled stones towards Polish police. The Polish side said the migrants used stun grenades and tried to break the fence. In response Polish forces used tear gas and water jets. As a result of the incident 12 people, including nine police, were injured on the Polish side of the border.