The border fence near Lesovo, on the Bulgaria-Turkey border. File photo, BGNES

The Bulgarian parliament extended on Thursday the powers of the army, allowing it to guard the state borders.

The amendment to the Defence and Armed Forces Act was unanimously approved at second reading with 137 MPs voting in favour, daily Dnevnik informs.

Until now, the armed forces could only provide assistance, such as logistics, to the officials of the interior ministry.

Now the army has the power to guard the border on an equal footing with border policemen.

The army will be deployed only in extraordinary and crisis situations.

The servicemen also have to prepare tactical plans for reaction in the event of heightened migrant pressure.

The Council of Ministers will entrust the army with concrete tasks and will provide the necessary funding for their implementation, while the defence minister will regulate the use of force against intruders.

On Wednesday, the Bulgarian government approved the allocation of up to BGN 35 M on the construction of the fence along the border with Turkey.