by Ben Kew

Moroccan police have blocked another attempted mass crossing into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, two weeks after more than 72,000 migrants surged toward the European enclave.

Hundreds gathered near the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, also known as Castillejos, on Saturday after messages circulated on social media calling for another coordinated attempt to reach Ceuta.

Moroccan authorities deployed riot police and increased security around the frontier, while footage showed groups moving toward the border.

Authorities arrested at least 111 people attempting to reach Ceuta, according to Reuters, including 109 people from sub-Saharan Africa and two Moroccan nationals.

Other reports placed the number detained during the wider security operation significantly higher.

The operation followed the appalling events of July 30th, when more than 72,000 migrants descended on Ceuta in the hope of gaining access to Europe.

Dozens of people died during the crossing, while Spanish authorities subsequently returned most of those who entered illegally to Morocco.

Spain and Morocco significantly increased security ahead of Saturday’s invasion.

Madrid deployed hundreds of additional officers to Ceuta, bringing the number of police and Civil Guard personnel in the territory to more than 1,600.

Moroccan authorities also increased patrols and surveillance around the border.

The July influx came weeks after a Spanish court ruling restricted the immediate return of migrants intercepted while reaching Ceuta by sea.

The new arrivals have turned parts of Ceuta into an effective slum, with the beach strewed with litter and human waste while migrants hold "fight clubs" by the water.

Authorities are even concerned about the possibility of a cholera outbreak.

Spain’s leftist government under Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has blamed criminal organizations and "misinformation" circulating on social media for encouraging the July influx.

Authorities also installed a floating barrier off Ceuta in an effort to prevent further crossings by sea.

Ceuta and Melilla, Spain’s two territories on the North African coast, constitute the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.