Hundreds of migrants broke through police lines in Hungary near the Serbian border for a third day running September 9, as the army began mobilizing for a possible role in guarding the frontier.
The break-out of at least 400 migrants took place near Roszke, the main crossing point from Serbia, where 2,529 migrants, including 455 children, were waiting to register with authorities. Most were Syrian, Afghan or Pakistani.
Shouting "No camp," they scattered in all directions, some heading for a nearby motorway leading to Budapest, which police then temporarily closed down. The migrants later agreed to be taken to a refugee camp in western Hungary.
It was the latest in a series of tense confrontations between police and desperate migrants as Hungarian authorities struggle to cope with thousands of new arrivals every day.
Hungary's army launched an exercise called "Decisive Action" to prepare for a possible role in border control, pending a vote in parliament later September on the issue.
"It is our job to make sure Hungary is defended," General Tibor Benko told the M1 channel.
