Five soldiers probed over 'club brawl' in Greece

Five Maltese soldiers taking part in an EU border control operation are being investigated by the Armed Forces of Malta after they were allegedly arrested following a fight in a nightclub on the Greek island of Lesbos.

The EU border control agency Frontex, which runs the operation, said it was concerned about the behaviour of five soldiers who on Tuesday were arrested following a fight with patrons at a nightclub in Mytilene.

Frontex said it had written to the responsible authority but did not divulge the soldiers' nationality.

The agency's executive director Ilkka Laitinen condemned the incident and said that all soldiers taking part in joint border control operations coordinated by Frontex must uphold the highest standards, both on and off duty.

Moreover, he said he had asked the State to immediately recall the soldiers involved and replace them with others who were able to work to restore the excellent relations and working spirit achieved so far.

The army had separately said that five soldiers were involved in an incident with Greek locals on Lesbos and had immediately been recalled.

A spokesman would not confirm, however, that the soldiers had been arrested in Greece.

Other Maltese soldiers stationed on the nearby island of Samos are still in place.

The army spokesman said an intensive investigation had now been launched to ascertain the facts.

The aim of the operation, christened Poseidon, is to increase land and maritime border checks and surveillance in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

First held four years ago, the operations have confirmed that the region is an important route for illegal immigration to the European Union.