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 Twelve Moroccan nationals were arrested in Spain's north African enclave Ceuta yesterday after a night of unrest fuelled by migrant tensions saw a military vehicle carrying Spanish soldiers pelted by stones, leaving one injured. A group of up to 70 migrants threw stones and other objects at the patrolling military vehicle in the small region neighbouring Morocco, a police spokesperson in Ceuta told AFP, describing it as an "ambush". The attack took place early yesterday morning, with people "on both sides of the road" throwing "stones and various objects" at the vehicle, the spokesman said. The soldiers fled on foot but were chased by the crowd, and called for police backup.When police arrived in several more vehicles the migrants dispersed, the spokesperson said.Twelve people, all Moroccan citizens, were arrested, the spokesperson said, adding that their "objective" remained unknown.One of the soldiers sustained minor injuries after being struck in the back by a thrown stone. The unrest came as tensions remain high in the tiny enclave of around 80,000 people, nearly a month after more than 70,000 migrants entered from Morocco by swimming or walking in just days. Although the vast majority returned to Morocco immediately afterwards, thousands remain in the enclave.Spain's left-wing government puts the figure at between 3,500 and 7,000, while Ceuta's right-wing leaders say it is at least 10,000.Residents of Ceuta, which is just 18 square kilometres (seven square miles) in size, have already held several protests to complain about what they say are security and hygiene issues from the influx.The most recent demonstration drew thousands of people late Wednesday, ending in clashes after police fired tear gas to prevent confrontations with migrants camping on a beach, according to the Spanish press."Tension in the city of Ceuta is very high" because there is "no response" from the government and "we feel abandoned," Kissy Chandiramani, the autonomous city's finance councillor, told Cadena Ser radio on Thursday.The Spanish government is seeking to speed up the return of migrants remaining in Ceuta.But it has warned that each individual must be identified to determine whether they are entitled to asylum or subject to deportation, while thousands of minors require special protection. 

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad in Morocco Nasser Bourita on the sidelines of the meetings of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the meeting, several topics were discussed, most notably the strategic partnership between the two sides and ways to enhance it. They also reviewed the latest preparations for the Gulf-Morocco Investment Forum, scheduled for early November. This forum comes within the framework of the GCC and the Kingdom of Morocco's commitment to strengthening investment and trade relations between them. GCC Secretary General also highlighted the importance the GCC attaches to its strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, and its firm positions and decisions in support of the Moroccan Sahara and the preservation of the security, stability and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco. He also praised Security Council Resolution 2756, issued on October 31, 2024, regarding the Moroccan Sahara.