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At least 1,100 asylum seekers rushed the barbed wire fence protecting the tiny north African enclave, which is surrounded on all sides by Morocco, in a desperate bid to reach the EU. Spanish and Moroccan authorities desperately fought to restore order as the migrants, most from sub-Saharan Africa, scaled the border barrier and brawled with police on Sunday.

Once inside the miniscule Spanish territory they would be able to claim asylum in Spain or travel onwards towards the promised lands of Germany and Sweden. The migrants used rocks and metal bars as they battled with police officers from Spain and Morocco, who joined forces to defend the border.

Faro TV Sub-Saharan African migrants forced their way over a barbed-wire fence into Spain's enclave of Ceuta

Television footage showed migrants perched on the top of the fence as they tried to get over. Around 55 police officers were injured in the chaos - 50 from Morocco and five from Spain. Moroccan authorities said 10 of their security personnel had been serious wounded during the fighting. Dozens of migrants made it to the top of the six-metre barbed wire fence early on Sunday before being lifted down by cranes, footage from local TV station Faro TV showed. The Spanish government later insisted all the assailants had been turned back except two, who were allowed into Ceuta for medical treatment.

Faro TV More than 1,100 migrants were involved in the attempt

Faro TV Police said almost all the migrants were turned back to Morocco

From now on those making such attempts will be presented before the competent judicial authorities who will decree their expulsion from the kingdom Moroccan interior ministry

Moroccan authorities put the number of migrants involved in the attack at 800, and claimed that all of them had now been arrested by police. In a furious statement the country's interior ministry raged: "From now on those making such attempts will be presented before the competent judicial authorities who will decree their expulsion from the kingdom (of Morocco) or heavier penalties, according the gravity of the act." An Ceuta officials said: "Although the wounds of the Spanish Civil Guard agents are not serious, Moroccan forces suffered the most, and one of them lost an eye as a result of the impact of a stone." Spain's two enclaves in Morocco, Ceuta and Melilla, are often used as entry points into Europe for African migrants, who either climb over their border fences or attempt a dangerous swim along the coastline. Some also try to cross from Morocco into mainland southern Spain by boat, despite tighter controls in recent years by the two countries which has diminished the number of those attempting this route.

Migrants clash with police across Europe Wed, February 15, 2017 Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 107 Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.