Sofia, Oct 16 (IANS): An Afghan refugee was shot dead on Friday near the Bulgaria-Turkey border by the Bulgarian border police, an official said.

A senior Bulgarian interior ministry official said the immigrant was killed when the police was attempting to disperse a group of 53 Afghan refugees who were trying to cross the borders between Turkey and Bulgaria, EFE news reported.

The incident took place early on Friday near the southern Bulgarian town of Sredez. The deceased refugee was between 20 and 30 years of age, the official said.

Border police members ordered the group to stop and turn back, which they ignored, so a police officer fired a warning shot from his pistol. The bullet hit the immigrant in the neck and he died later on way to the hospital.

Security forces detained the rest of the group, who were described as hostile by the Bulgarian official.

This is the first time for an immigrant was shot dead since the refugee crisis began in Europe.