Hundreds of would-be immigrants mounted a fresh assault on Spain's north African enclave of Melilla, and 65 of them succeeded in breaking through its defences to what they hope will be a better life.

In Morocco, which surrounds tiny Melilla, a source at the interior ministry confirmed the latest assault, but said "only a very few" people had broken through.

Melilla police chief Jose Fernandez Chacon welcomed the day's "close collaboration" with the Moroccan authorities.

Recent months have seen a sharp increase of such incidents in Melilla and its twin, Ceuta, involving people from many African countries determined to escape poverty and start a new life in Europe.

The latest assault took place in the Pinares de Rostrogordo zone where the perimeter fence has yet to be raised from three to six metres high, as is the case around the rest of the enclave, according to private Spanish radio Cadena Ser.

Medics in the zone treated many immigrants for cuts and bruises, and two were still under observation, police said, adding that two members of the Civil Guard had also been injured.

About 15 immigrants had to have plaster casts applied.

Two new Civil Guard anti-riot units were joining six other units on site, the police statement said.

A tired and nervous Malian who managed to cross into Melilla Wednesday told AFP that the would-be immigrants battled Moroccan police with stones and were then attacked with tear gas and truncheons by Spain's Civil Guard before they dispersed onto Spanish soil.

Another Malian, Ali Traoure, said that the Spanish Civil Guard had used rubber bullets.

EU justice and security commissioner Franco Frattini on Tuesday said the bloc would shortly be sending a technical mission to investigate the worsening situation on the southern coast of the Mediterranean.

Seven African would-be immigrants have died since the beginning of the summer during similar assaults, including five in Ceuta on Thursday.

On Monday 135 people were injured when around 650 stormed Melilla. Some 300 people broke into the same enclave in two mass stormings of the barrier, involving about 1,000 people, in a similar incident.

Spain has recently been accelerating plans to raise the border fence, equipped with infrared cameras and movement detectors, while Morocco is increasing police operations in forests bordering the enclaves.

After Wednesday's incident, Moroccan police arrested 85 immigrants, including 13 women, bringing the total number of such arrests since the beginning of the year to 6,167.

PHOTO CAPTION

An African immigrant is treated for wounds sustained while crossing the double perimeter fence, 04 October 2005 at the temporary immigrant shelter (CETI) in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. (AFP)