The steel fence installed on the border with Turkey is pictured on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark the signing of the project for its extension in Feres on March 31, 2023. Several countries, including Austria and Greece, have applied for EU funding to strengthen fences along the bloc’s external borders to reduce the flow of asylum seekers. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

THESSALONIKI, Greece — A Greek border guard was injured Saturday after being shot at from the Turkish side of the border, Greek police said.

The border patrol “was fired upon by unknown individuals from the Turkish side” near the town of Soufli, the report said.

Police said in a statement that the incident took place during “an operation to prevent the illegal entry of migrants from Turkey.”

The guard was hospitalized. No details were given about his condition.

READ: Greece plans to extend fence on land border with Turkey

The Greek-Turkish border is a frequent entry point for migrants entering Greece, a country that is a member of the European Union. Especially in the summer, when the water of the Evros River is low, it is often inland.

In 2020, Ankara was seen by Athens as a city that encouraged thousands of migrants to cross the border into Greece, leading to days of clashes with border guards.

READ: Greece and Turkey turn a page, agree to restore ties