MADRID, July 17: Spanish forces on Wednesday pushed Moroccan soldiers off the disputed Mediterranean islet of Perejil, a government spokesman said.

Nobody was hurt in the operation, which came after Spain withdrew its ambassador to Rabat indefinitely.

A government communique said that Madrid had “found itself forced” to give the orders to dislodge the Moroccan troops and that it had informed the United Nations and its international allies.

The crisis blew up a week ago when Morocco sent about a dozen troops to the islet, which lies some 200 metres inside Moroccan territorial waters near Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta. Rabat justified the move as part of a campaign to clamp down on illegal immigrants leaving for Europe, an issue that has already caused tension with Madrid.

Spain, backed by the European Union, demanded that Rabat immediately withdraw the soldiers, maintaining their presence violated Spanish sovereignty over the island.

Madrid on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Morocco for consultations.

The status of the 13.5 hectare uninhabited islet, which Morocco calls Leila, has been ambiguous since the Spanish protectorate over Morocco came to an end in 1956.

Madrid maintains that for the past 40 years both sides have adhered to an agreement not to occupy the islet.

But Moroccan Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa said on Tuesday that the islet was not covered by that agreement and insisted that the issue of who owned it had never been settled.—AFP