Stanisław Żaryn was summarising the events of the day as the migrant crisis on Poland's frontier with Belarus intensified, with nine Polish officers injured by stone-throwing migrants, according to officials.
"Today we have witnessed an attack on the Polish border," Żaryn said in a media interview, as cited by state news agency PAP.
He added that migrants first tried to break through the frontier fence at the crossing in Bruzgi, an operation that "happened in phases and consisted of various tasks."
"Those at the back were throwing stones and other objects, shielding those out in front, who kept trying to destroy the Polish fence," Żaryn said.
"The migrants then moved elsewhere and continued to attack the Polish side - thankfully these spots had been well fortified by Polish forces," he added.
Żaryn told the media that migrants had used "tree branches, large stones, including paving stones, but also stun grenades," in an assault that "must have been overseen by Belarusian officials."
He said that trucks filled with stones and rubble were shuttling back and forth on the Belarusian side. These materials were then being thrown at Polish officers, which "proves to us that Belarus has started to arm migrants with these dangerous objects," Żaryn added, as quoted by PAP.
He also said in the interview that Polish forces had in turn used water cannon and gas throwers, which was "legal and necessary to protect the frontier against previously unseen levels of aggression."
Turmoil on the border
Earlier on Tuesday, Poland's Border Guard said it had recorded 224 illegal attempts to cross from Belarus over the past 24 hours. Since the start of the year, over 33,000 such attempts have been recorded, the PAP news agency reported.
Since September 2, Warsaw has kept the border zone under a state of emergency in the face of the migrant pressure.
Poland also plans to build a solid fence along the Belarus frontier, crowned with barbed wire and fitted with electronic surveillance devices. The protective wall is due to be ready by mid-2022.
EU, NATO, US, UN nations condemn Belarus
The United States has called on Russia to use its influence over Belarus "to cease its callous exploitation and coercion of vulnerable people," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday amid the deepening migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken at the weekend reaffirmed America's support for Poland amid the crisis on the EU member's border with Belarus.
The United States and European members of the UN Security Council last week condemned Belarus for the “orchestrated instrumentalization" of migrants as tensions rose along the Polish-Belarusian border.
The Polish prime minister has said that NATO must take steps to help resolve the crisis on the Belarus border, adding that Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania and Latvia may ask for consultations under Article 4 of the alliance's treaty.
Polish lawmakers were on Tuesday set to debate legislation to strengthen the country's frontiers amid rising tensions on the border with Belarus.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP