Migrants ARMED with teargas by Belarus as border war reaches boiling point

The dispute between the two countries took a dramatic turn last night after Belarusian soldiers ripped up a fence at the border. Video from the scene showed Poland’s Border Force being blinded by lasers upon arrival.

A spokesman for the Polish Border Force told MailOnline: “Last night near Czeremcha, Belarusian soldiers began to destroy the temporary border by tearing up fence posts.

“Polish forces were blinded by laser beams and strobe light.

“Also, a group of about 100 migrants were to cross and Poland says Belarusians gave them tear gas, which was used against the Polish forces.”

The crisis at the border has progressively got worse over the past few weeks, with 11 migrants being found dead on either side of the border.

Podlasks Police tweeted: “Yesterday, in the woods, near the border, near Wolka Terechowska, the body of a young Syrian man was found.”

A spokesperson from Poland had recently warned that there may be an armed escalation in the country if an agreement is not reached over the dispute.

Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said: “We expect that there may be an escalation of this type of action on the Polish border in the near future, which will be of an armed nature.

Mr Muller added that “people linked to Belarusian special services” were playing a big role in the crisis at the border.

READ MORE: New virus outbreak in China as hundreds hospitalised

Poland President Andrzej Duda also expressed concerns about the actions of Belarus, saying they are not only attacking Poland but also the EU.

The 49-year-old said at a press conference in Warsaw on Tuesday: “The Belarusian regime is attacking the Polish border, the EU, in an unparalleled manner.

“These are aggressive actions that we must repel, fulfilling our obligations as a member of the European Union.”

But Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko vowed that he did not want to enter a war with Poland, saying he was not a “madman”.

He said: “We are not seeking a fight.

“I am not a madman, I understand perfectly well where it can lead.

“But we will not kneel.”