Several fires are being reported in the Moroccan port town of Beni-Enzar.

The blazes are in the area near the border with the Spanish autonomous city of Melilla, according to reports.

The fires have reportedly been started amid violent clashes after thousands of migrants stormed a border between the two countries on Thursday.

The government of Ceuta – a Spanish territory in North Africa – said on Thursday, July 30, that between 1,500 and 2,000 people had entered in the previous 10 days.

Since then, the number has surged dramatically, with officials now estimating that around 49,000 migrants have crossed into Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours.

Ceuta and Melilla are located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean coast at the tip of Africa. Both autonomous cities belong to Spain and share the European Union‘s only land borders with Africa.

Morocco does not officially recognize Ceuta and Melilla as Spanish territory and often refers to them as occupied lands.

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