Migrants storm border fence in Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Fifty Moroccan and five Spanish border guards were injured when 1,100 African migrants attempted to storm a border fence on the Moroccan coastline.

The migrants were attempting to reach Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta.

Only two were successful, but both were injured scaling the six-metre fence and needed hospital treatment.

A further 100 also tried to climb the fence but Spanish agents sent them back to Morocco. 

 One guard lost an eye, officials said.

The attempt comes after more than 400 migrants succeeded in breaching Ceuta's fence in December.

Hundreds of sub-Saharan African migrants living illegally in Morocco try to enter Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's other North African enclave, each year in hope of getting to Europe. But most migrants are reportedly intercepted and returned to Morocco, while those who make it over the fences are eventually repatriated or released.

This latest attempt - described as "extremely violent and organised" by the Spanish government's representative office in Ceuta - took place at 4:00am on New Year's Day.

The enclaves are Europe's only land borders in Africa. Ceuta was originally part of the Portuguese Empire after the collapse of the Umayyad caliphate in Spain and North Africa during the Middle Ages before it was formally ceded to Spain in the 17th century. 

It was then settled by many people from all over Spain and when Morocco won independence in 1956, Madrid claimed Ceuta and Melilla had to remain part of their country as they were integral parts of the Spanish state.