Greek coast guard 'fires shots' at refugee boat

A video footage that became viral on social media on March 2 which appeared to show Greek coastguard vessels confronting a dinghy carrying refugees to Greece, as a Syrian man was reportedly shot dead by police on the border.

The footage shows two vessels, one inflatable motor boat and another one with Hellenic Coast Guard markings. While a man from the inflatable boat is seen hitting the migrant boat with a stick, another is seen firing a gun. Meanwhile, the larger coast guard vessel sails across the bow of the migrant boat.

The video has stirred outrage on social media as many has criticized Greek authorities for "pushing back" refugees and migrants.

Two Turkish security sources told Reuters that a Syrian migrant had died from injuries on March 1 after Greek security forces intervened to prevent migrants crossing from Turkey into Greece, but Athens branded the claim "fake news".   

A child died too after being pulled from the sea when a boat capsized on March 2 off the Greek island of Lesbos, Greek officials said, the first reported fatality since Turkey opened its border last week to let migrants reach Europe.   

More than 10,000 migrants, mostly from Syria, other Middle Eastern states and Afghanistan, have reached Turkey's land borders with EU states Greece and Bulgaria since Ankara said on Feb. 27 it would stop keeping them on its territory.   

Further south, at least 1,000 migrants have reached Greece's eastern Aegean islands since March 1 morning, Greek police say.   

The Greek coast guard said the boat which capsized off Lesbos had been escorted there by a Turkish vessel. Forty-six people were rescued and two children were taken to hospital, one of whom could not be revived.   

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