The information relating to these incidents, which comes from official Civil Guard reports, has been published in Spain. It is curious to note that there has been no more information on this matter made public in Gibraltar by the authorities "which gives credence to the view that incursions continue to take place but are these are being hushed up for political reasons," says the GSLP/Liberal Opposition.
The Opposition says it understands that on Wednesday 9th February an incursion took place 1.8 miles off Europa Point when a Civil Guard patrol boat interfered with a military exercise after two men parachuted from a military aircraft that was over-flying Gibraltar. The Civil Guard considered that the incident took place in Spanish waters and they moved to the point where the parachutists had landed in the sea only to find that there were three Royal Navy vessels already in the area, after which the Spanish launch turned back towards Algeciras.
There was another reported incident two days later, on Friday 11th February this time with a Civil Guard patrol boat based in Ceuta. It is claimed that the Civil Guard were 1.5 miles from Algeciras commercial port testing out repairs to the launch’s engine. They claim to have been aggressively approached by a Royal Navy vessel which moved extremely close and run parallel to the Spanish boat.
The Opposition welcome the action taken by the Royal Navy to safeguard our sovereignty, jurisdiction and control over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. "We have long warned that the situation is likely to escalate unless firm and decisive action is taken to put an end to these politically motivated incursions on the part of the Civil Guard and other agencies of the Spanish state. It will be recalled that the two most serious incidents that we know of took place in December 2009 and in September 2010. The former was when armed civil guards entered the Port of Gibraltar and landed on our soil and the second when the Civil Guard removed a suspect from RGP custody within British waters inside the Bay.
Right to know
"It is obvious from the reports that have been published in Spain that incursions continue to take place although no information on these is being released to the public in Gibraltar. Our people have a right to know without having to rely on Spanish media reports," ends a statement.
The Opposition says it understands that on Wednesday 9th February an incursion took place 1.8 miles off Europa Point when a Civil Guard patrol boat interfered with a military exercise after two men parachuted from a military aircraft that was over-flying Gibraltar. The Civil Guard considered that the incident took place in Spanish waters and they moved to the point where the parachutists had landed in the sea only to find that there were three Royal Navy vessels already in the area, after which the Spanish launch turned back towards Algeciras.
There was another reported incident two days later, on Friday 11th February this time with a Civil Guard patrol boat based in Ceuta. It is claimed that the Civil Guard were 1.5 miles from Algeciras commercial port testing out repairs to the launch’s engine. They claim to have been aggressively approached by a Royal Navy vessel which moved extremely close and run parallel to the Spanish boat.
The Opposition welcome the action taken by the Royal Navy to safeguard our sovereignty, jurisdiction and control over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. "We have long warned that the situation is likely to escalate unless firm and decisive action is taken to put an end to these politically motivated incursions on the part of the Civil Guard and other agencies of the Spanish state. It will be recalled that the two most serious incidents that we know of took place in December 2009 and in September 2010. The former was when armed civil guards entered the Port of Gibraltar and landed on our soil and the second when the Civil Guard removed a suspect from RGP custody within British waters inside the Bay.
Right to know
"It is obvious from the reports that have been published in Spain that incursions continue to take place although no information on these is being released to the public in Gibraltar. Our people have a right to know without having to rely on Spanish media reports," ends a statement.
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