The government of the British enclave of Gibraltar on Friday accused Spain of “violating the sovereignty” of the United Kingdom following shots fired on Thursday by Spanish customs officers who were chasing smugglers.
Revealation of Fact
“The facts of this incident reveal a flagrant breach of British sovereignty and potentially the most serious and dangerous incident in years,” Gibraltar’s Prime Minister Fabian Picardo said in a statement. signed by the Governor of the “Rock”.
“Should it be confirmed that Spanish officials used their weapons in Gibraltar, such action would constitute a very serious breach of the law,” the statement read.
“The governments of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom consider that the events of yesterday (Thursday) will require careful consideration as to the nature and level of the diplomatic response” of the United Kingdom, is it still
writing.
For its part, Madrid rejected “categorically the terms of the joint statement issued today by representatives of the British Government regarding the incident, as well as the claims of alleged British sovereignty over the territory and waters of Gibraltar”. commented the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to “aggression on Spanish territory and in the waters near the Rock of Gibraltar”.
This article is originally published on al24news.com