Morocco watchdog: 27 migrants killed in June border storming

BY TARIQ ELBARAKA
Associated Press

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — The Moroccan Association for Human Rights has released a report putting the death toll  at 27 from last month’s attempt by hundreds of migrants to storm the border between the North African kingdom and the Spanish enclave of Melilla. That number is higher than the official government tally of 23.  The human rights watchdog said those who died were mostly from Sudan, South Sudan and Chad. It says the death toll is expected to rise since many others suffered severe injuries and 64 migrants still remain missing. The rights group concluded that Moroccan and Spanish authorities used smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the migrants.