Slovak police and military training to patrol border with Hungary

Slovak police and military carried out a joint exercise called 'Operation SOUTH'. The exercise was held with prospects to the military joining police in the actual protection of the border with Hungary vis-a-vis the migration crisis. As part of the nationwide exercise, the 526-kilometre dry part of the 655-kilometre southern border was densely patrolled for two hours by 126 joint police and military units that were also receiving support from firefighters. Prime Minister Robert Fico, Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Defence Minister Martin Glváč were present in person at one of the 11 exercise centres in the Bratislava borough of Rušovce. They also witnessed a mock intervention against a group of immigrants attempting to cross the border illegally. "An extraordinary situation requires extraordinary measures. We now focus mainly on the most risky stretches, i.e. the green borders with Hungary and Austria. These borders have already been patrolled more intensely as of May", said the interior minister Robert Kaliňák. The 'Operation SOUTH' featured 129 police officers, 138 soldiers and 50 firefighters. Police Corps president Tibor Gašpar noted that the military will be assigned to assist police in patrolling the border only if the Government thus decides.
At the same time Tibor Gašpar stressed that Slovakia isn't reintroducing border checks on internal Schengen borders. "It's only monitoring activity aimed at having control of migrants attempting to enter Slovakia's territory", he said.