Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor:  Alex Cope, Agency: Central European News

Hungarian officials reportedly fired live ammunition into the air when this group of around 60 migrants attempted to break through the border into the country from Serbia.

Police said that five of the illegal immigrants were arrested, and the rest managed to flee back into Serbia after the armed border guards fired three warning shots into the air.

The video footage shows that during the night time the group of men pulled down a fence and then fled across the border before being chased back.

The five who were arrested were identified as two Syrian nationals, aged 26 and 29, two Palestinians both aged 26, and an Algerian aged 25.

The attempt to breakthrough came after Hungary revealed it was doubling the number of soldiers patrolling its borders following a significant increase in attempts to illegally enter the country.

Hungarian soldiers have been working with the police since 2015.

Lieutenant general Gabor Borondi who is the Hungarian army’s deputy commander said earlier that the recent increases would bring the number of soldiers to 500 including auxiliary staff and adding that they will stay in place “as long as necessary”.

In a recent interview Hungary’s Deputy Defence Minister, Szilard Nemeth, said his country was struggling with the large numbers of people trying to gain access to the European Union.

“If they come in groups, they always have leaders. They have excellent equipment, we found night-vision goggles, and even a ground sensor.”

The Hungarian authorities’ actions have been condemned by human rights groups who say most immigrants are not attempting to stay in Hungary, they were simply attempting to reach Austria or Germany where they often have relatives or friends.

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