Latvia boosts security on Belarus border against 'rising threat of war'

Latvia has moved to boost security on the border with Belarus amid the “rapidly rising hybrid war threat,” local media reported.

Accusing Belarusian authorities of being involved in organizing the flow of irregular migrants, the Latvian Border Guard said that the number of people who attempted to illegally cross the border has significantly increased in recent days, according to the public broadcaster LSM.

It said Border Guard officers on holidays have been recalled to help with patrols.

Defense Minister Inara Murniece ordered the country’s armed forces to send additional troops to the border to assist the border guards.

Last week, Latvian authorities announced that some 5,800 attempts to illegally enter the country have been prevented this year, while for humanitarian reasons, 292 people have been granted asylum.